


Will Write For Gil

by PasifikStar (damagectrl)



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: F/M, Where I Belong Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-04
Updated: 2012-08-31
Packaged: 2017-11-11 09:46:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 44,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/477199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damagectrl/pseuds/PasifikStar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where I Belong Challenge - A series of Squinoa one-shots based on the premise that Squall and Seifer anonymously pen short stories for Ellone's magazine. A crack fic of sorts featuring one post-game, one modern AU, one fairy-tale, and one supernatural stories tied together at the end of each chapter with a glimpse into the Squall and Seifer hard at work, writing crack fiction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This was written as part of the Where I Belong Challenge; a Squinoa based event taking place the month of August 2012. I haven't written anything for FF8 in ages, so I'm still getting into the rhythm of it. I'm fairly certain my style of writing has changed since then and my characterizations are totally way off (it's been so long!), but I'll try hard this month! Anyway, my premise for the event was several short stories connected by the end scenes, where Squall and Seifer anonymously pen short stories for Ellone's magazine in exchange for Garden funding, because why not. It makes no sense, so in a way, this is all crack fanfiction one shots.
> 
> While the main characters will always be Rinoa and Squall, in the 'articles' the guys are writing, the names are obviously different. This particular story plot I used in another one-shot for another fandom. Anyway, next up is a modern day AU (by Squall), followed by fairy-tale/fantasy (by Seifer), and if I get to it, a supernatural one-shot (by Squall). Enjoy and thank you again for your time and patience!

Part of him shouldn't have been surprised at the stubbornness he had faced. Now that the seaside town was faring better, they wanted to cut down the amount of private security they hired. That was fine, Squall figured. After all, there were other places he could send experienced mercenaries to. What wasn't fine was the drastic pay cut proposed, as well as the additional taxes passed for non-permanent residents, which included stationed Garden personnel.

Cid was right; Dollet was going to try save very gil while trying to squeeze the Gardens for what they were worth. Sighing tiredly, the brunette walked into the apartment he was sharing on the business trip and tossed his uniform jacket across the back of the couch.

He made it to the kitchen and managed to grab some water from the fridge before stopping. Blue eyes scanned the empty kitchen, dining room, and living room. That was odd: it was quiet. It was _quiet_ and he was there with Selphie _and_ Zell.

Furrowing his brow, he gulped down some water from the bottle as he tried to remember their schedule. Both were supposed to be doing rounds at their main station; checking on living conditions, training exercises, and interviewing some of the soldiers stationed. Although, it was already late afternoon. The two of them should've been back already.

Then, somewhere in the two-bedroom apartment, he heard a toilet flush. A small bit of relief reached him; so they _were_ home.

"Oh, Hyne! A medic! Selphie, we need a medic!" Another flush was heard coming from the bathroom in Selphie's room.

"Why aren't the pills working!?" Selphie's voice cried out. Squall slammed his empty water bottle on the table and ran down the hall.

"Zell!" he shouted. "Selphie! Are you-"

A retching sound filled the air as he reached the bathroom he shared with Zell and skidded to a stop at the doorway. The tattooed-blond was sitting on the floor, practically hugging the toilet, as he wiped the remains of vomit off his lips. Squall had seen limbs being blown off, wounds gushing blood like a fountain, but nothing made him recoil as much as puke on a floor and a green-faced mercenary.

"Squall!" Zell's eyes were red and rimmed with tears. "Squall, I'm dying!"

"What happened!?" Squall shouted, readying himself to get the necessary antidote.

"The shellfish…," Zell winced as he looked at Squall beseechingly. "They were…rot-" His eyes went wide as he turned his head back to the toilet and threw up once more.

Squall remained standing at the doorway, trying to come to terms what he was understanding. Shuffling could be heard behind him and turned around. The door to Selphie's room opened and sick-looking brunette leaned heavily against the doorway.

"How long does it take for food poisoning to go away?" Selphie croaked. She clutched her stomach with one arm as her other hand hovered over her mouth, as if to stop any sudden projectile vomit from hitting their captain.

"A day or two," Squall frowned. He found himself taking a hesitant step backwards. "What happened?"

"We went to eat at this place," Selphie grimaced. "That was a mistake. The shellfish in our dishes were spoiled…ugh!" She shot up straight, as if she had been hit. "Excuse me!" Her door slammed as she darted back inside to use the bathroom.

Squall looked back at Zell. "Did you at least take any medicine to help?"

"Nothing helps, Squall," Zell told him dramatically . "Nothing will _ever_ stop this pain."

The leader of the group closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. "I'll call for a maid to come up and clean up after you, just try to get some rest," he said as he began back down the hall.

Shaking his head, Squall walked back to the kitchen to fetch a number of the cleaning services on the fridge. He had just finished making the arrangements when Selphie's door opened and the shaky twenty-something-year old appeared.

"Squall," Selphie grimaced at her hoarse voice. "I need a favor."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Don't tell me you didn't finish your rounds at the station."

She winced. They hadn't. "We can finish the checks tomorrow, but no, I need you to do something else."

He looked reluctant to ask. "What?"

"I scheduled a dinner meeting tonight," Selphie winced as her stomach made an odd gurgling sound. "But I can't make it. Can you go instead?"

"Selphie, I'm sure you can reschedule," Squall told her firmly as he began taking things from the fridge to prepare his dinner.

"No," she shook her head as she remained leaning against the hallway wall. "They're only here for one night and I don't have the phone number."

"I'm sure they'll try to contact you."

"Squall," Selphie croaked. She stumbled over, still gripping her stomach. "Please…I'll pay for your dinner with them." She paused as she swayed halfway there. "Out of my own paycheck, this time." Her stomach gurgled and her shoulders began to rise.

Squall turned around to give her a firm rejection with a head of lettuce in one hand and some bread in the other. "They'll understand if you have food poisoning. You can explain it to them the next time you talk. Now, go back to your room and lay down." His eyes narrowed as he looked at her curiously. "Selphie…?" Her eyes crinkled up as her hands shot to her mouth. "Crap, Selphie," he rounded the kitchen's breakfast bar, placing the food on the counter as he rushed to help her. "I told you to-"

Then she threw up on him.

Squall could only stand there, his eyes wide as Selphie's still-hot vomit penetrated his shirt and rolled down the front of his body. His arms were still extended to help her and had frozen in place. Across from him, Selphie's pale, taunt face was frozen in a horrified expression.

"I…am so…sorry-"

"Go to your room," a low voice said as Squall's hands clenched and slowly lowered to his sides.

"But…what about dinner tonight-"

"I'll take care of it," he continued. "Just. Go. Rest." Selphie didn't bother nodding. She just stumbled back and tried to get to her room before Squall got really mad.

"Whoa," Zell said as he stumbled out, looking slightly better, but still red-eyed and pale. "What happened here?"

"Are you done with the bathroom?" Squall asked carefully. Zell nodded. Without a word, Squall stalked past him. Selphie had thrown up on his clothes. He only had one clean set left that was his uniform and he'd have to get this set cleaned before they left.

"You're going to use it? Now?" Zell cringed. "It's kind of a mess-"

"Did you puke in the shower?"

"No-"

"Then it'll do," Squall grumbled.

Zell looked back at the counter, where Squall's abandoned food remained. Despite what he had just done, and the remains of Selphie's 'attack' still on the floor, he found himself oddly hungry.

Zell eyed the bread. "Are you going to use these?"

"No!" a voice yelled.

"What about your dinner?" Zell asked warily. The bathroom door slammed. "Okay," Zell said as he eyed the food. "Your loss!" His stomach gurgled. His eyes widened as he clutched his midsection and turned back to the hall. "Just hurry up!"

* * *

The seaside town had seemed to prosper in the last few years. Buildings had been rebuilt, the main street was lined with well kept buildings and elegant streetlights. The water was nice and clear and the weather wasn't too hot, but wasn't too cold either. Rinoa could see why Dollet was booming into such a popular tourist destination for those who wanted the peace and serenity of a beach resort town.

It was a shame she was only there for a night before her transport ship left. Still, she thought as she took a deep breath and inhaled the warm sea air, at least she'd get to have dinner with an old friend. It had been a happy coincidence that she had run into Selphie that morning while going through the town.

The pleasant smile on her face seemed to fade as she lowered her eyes and looked down at her fingers knotting themselves on top of the table she sat at. She was in as romantic scene as any: on a balcony of Dollet's best seafood restaurant, over looking the crashing waves below. The sun was setting, there was a hazy glow of candlelight coming from the tables, and somewhere within the restaurant behind her, and a string band was playing and entertaining the guests.

The mood was perfect, but the fact that she was sitting there, waiting alone made her self-conscious. Quietly, looked at the watch on her wrist. She was early; Selphie had a few more minutes and even then, Selphie was probably the tardiest soldier she knew and would most likely be a little late.

An ache made itself known in her chest. The thought of a soldier immediately brought her thoughts back to Selphie's Commander; the man she'd left behind.

Sad brown eyes looked at her pale hands. More calloused than ever, but she was proud of it. It was the result of years of hard work and dedication put into helping victims of the war rebuild all over the world. Her heart stung once more. It was the result of years of being away from _him_.

"Stop it, Rinoa," she scolded herself quietly. "Selphie is going to come any minute. You don't want to be depressed, mooning over her commanding officer like a love sick teenager…." That she once was. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Selphie was on assignment in Dollet. Not Squall. Selphie's the one who ran into her that day, not Squall. She would be having dinner with Selphie.

"Miss, your guest has arrived," a voice said behind her. Rinoa opened her eyes and rose from her seat to greet the newcomer.

A surprised voice did not belong to a happy, petite mercenary. "Rinoa?"

Wide brown eyes immediately met equally wide blue ones and her heart shot to her throat. "Squall?" If the food poisoning didn't kill Selphie, Squall swore that he would. He watched those familiar eyes blink with confusion as her lower lip jutted out in a miniature pout. "What are you doing here?" She craned her neck and looked around. "Where's Selphie?" She prayed it wasn't a prank.

Squall needed to force himself to breath; to calm the slamming organ in his chest and remain composed. He'd been through war and had his life turned upside down with worse surprises than a beautiful woman in a sleeveless, knee length navy dress scheduled to have dinner with him. He could do this.

"She has food poisoning." He almost hit himself for sounding so blasé about it. When he had left, Selphie was telling him that she was going to die and to tell Irvine she loved him and not to forget to feed her goldfish. Even as she said that, she was looking better, but not good enough to go to dinner with a Galabadian General's daughter. "She and Zell ate some spoiled shellfish at lunch and it caught up with them."

"Oh, no…are they okay? Do they need to see a doctor?" Rinoa asked, her brows furrowing as she reached for her bag.

Squall almost smiled to himself. It seemed she hadn't changed much. She still sounded the same. She may have grown a bit taller, her face more defined, and with a few more laughter lines in the corners of her eyes, but she still cared. "No, they're fine. They're getting some rest and I've rescheduled their duties tomorrow so they can continue to do so."

"Then is there anything I can do?" she asked, still holding her purse.

Squall hesitated, remaining where he had been standing. His eyes moved over to the chair where he was supposed to sit across from her. "Selphie actually sent me in her place," he explained. "There isn't much you can do right now. They just need to rest and get it out of their systems."

Rinoa found herself nodding. "I should at least say hi."

The corner of his eye twitched. "I would stay away. Selphie…threw up on me earlier."

Her eyes widened once more. He could see her lips tugging into a smile; a sign that she was trying to hold it her laughter. A snort escaped her lips before she turned her head to the side and barely muffled a laugh. He rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, sorry," she giggled as she looked back at him. Her eyes roamed down his body; it didn't look like he had been through an ordeal. He was wearing his uniform and it was crisp and clean, albeit not buttoned all the way up. No, he looked just _fine_. "Are you okay?"

"As long as it doesn't happen again," he told her. He lamely motioned one arm towards the seats. "Would you still like to have dinner with me?"

He looked uncomfortable and she thought it was kind of cute. That never got tired, even if she thought he'd gone from boyish-teenage 'cute' to an older 'dashingly handsome'. She almost laughed at her assessment.

"Of course," she smiled, barely stifling her laugh as she turned back to her seat. She put her purse back down on her side of the table as Squall came up behind her to help her push her seat in. The brown-eyed brunette nearly jumped as she felt him behind her, grasping on to the back of her chair and moving her closer to the table. A hot flush rushed through her and she lowered her head, hoping he wouldn't see the red across her face.

Squall's grip tightened on the back of her seat. That close to her, he could smell the scent of her hair over the salty air around them. He turned his head away and pried his hands from her chair, quickly rounding the table to get to his seat. As Rinoa grasped her napkin to put it over her lap, Squall fumbled with his own.

"Have you taken a look at the menu yet?" he asked. He inwardly cringed. It sounded so forced.

Rinoa chuckled slightly and shook her head. "No, I was actually waiting for Selphie to arrive." She stopped and thanked the server as he handed each of them a menu. "What are you specials?"

"The sea bass, miss, they just came in with this afternoon's fishing vessels. We also have a special house sautéed mussels with garlic sauce and the chef's personal favorite, steak and shrimp," the server recited.

"I'll have that," Squall said, handing the server back the menu already.

"Excellent choice, sir. And shall I give you a moment, miss?"

Rinoa wrinkled her nose. She handed the server back the menu and beamed. "Make it two."

"And to drink?"

"I'll have coffee," Squall stated.

"A glass of the house wine," Rinoa piped. The server nodded and shuffled off. The woman looked back at her unexpected companion and released a deep breath. "So…What are you doing in Dollet?" Rinoa smiled. Because Selphie didn't tell her he was there, too.

"Garden negotiations with the town on the mercenaries stationed here," Squall replied . "You?"

"I'm passing through," Rinoa continued to smile. Their conversation drifted into silence and she reached for her glass of water.

Squall remained seated stiffly in his seat. He looked out towards the water, trying to distract himself from the woman in front of him. He silently promised himself to put Selphie through rigorous training hell as soon as he could. Wait…no. Even better, he'd put her behind a desk for a month and make her correct student essays at the Garden. Yes, that would be a suitable punishment for keeping who his dinner partner would be from him.

It was bad enough that he had been misled – he was sure it was someone from the Dollet city council who wanted to have a dinner meeting or something. Instead, he had to sit through an awkward dinner with the woman who left him several years earlier. While it wasn't an ugly breakup – or even a break-up if one asked Selphie – it did leave the two on non-speaking terms.

His brows furrowed just a bit. Why did they stop talking? She had left and never called. He had taken it as a sign that she didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. That's what that meant, right? But it was different now. They were adults. They had careers and had grown up a bit since they last met. They could obviously be civil.

It wasn't as if Rinoa leaving had caused him too much heartbreak.

Blue eyes flickered across the table. Rinoa was using her straw to poke at the lemon slice in her glass.

That was a lie. Every day since she left part of him died. He wasn't sure if he was angry or sad or confused, but he knew felt empty. There was something missing and numerous times, he had wanted to contact her – ask her what was going on, if she was coming back or if it was over…and ask her what he did to make her leave.

But he never did. He took a deep breath.

"So, what have you been doing?"

"What have you been up to?" she asked at the same time. The two blinked and stared at each other for a moment. He looked surprised and she began to chuckle. Her shoulders lowered as her eyes saddened just a bit. "Humanitarian aid all over the place. I'm never really in more than one location for a month or two."

"It must be exciting," he acknowledged.

"Yeah, exciting," she forced a smile on her face. "And what about you? Heard you're climbing the ranks at the Garden."

"I'm just doing my job," he shrugged.

"I heard you do it very well," she leaned forward.

"It's not like I have anything else to do." He silently swore. His eyes moved back to her face, trying to see if his careless answer had any affect. Her eyes had gone blank and her teasing smile had faded into something hollow. "I mean…Cid just piles on the work. It's been one thing after another."

"Right, right," she nodded, his eyes darting away. She pulled back, trying to pretend that his comment didn't stab at an old wound. "I'm sure he keeps you very busy."

He lowered his eyes once more. "Anyway," he began. "Is it the same humanitarian organization you were working with before?" He almost winced at the last word.

Rinoa nodded. "We're trying to work close with the Gardens and cities affected as best as we can," she said. "I actually email Quistis a lot."

He didn't know that. "That's good. So…you've kept in touch?" _With everyone, except me?_

Rinoa smiled sadly. "No…not everyone."

He narrowed his eyes as he watched regret wash over her face. Before he could read further into it, their meal arrived and the topic quickly shifted to the food. In between "Mmms…." and " how is your steak…" were long moments of silence or strained conversation.

By the time Rinoa finished her dessert, she looked ready to flee once more. Squall grit his teeth. It was the first time he'd talked to her years and this was how it was going to end? With a stubborn battle over who paid the check and then they'd go their separate ways?

"No, it's fine," Rinoa smiled as she reached for the check. "You came all this way to have dinner with me last minute. I'll pay."

"It's alright, Rinoa. This one is on me."

"At least let me pay my share," she offered, already reaching into her purse. "How much was it…plus tip?"

Squall placed a few bills into the little black folder the server gave him and then handed it back. "Keep the change," he told the young man. The server thanked him graciously and Squall looked back at Rinoa. "Don't worry, I'll make Selphie pay me back."

A small snort came from Rinoa as she shook her head and placed her wallet back into her purse. "You win, this time."

Squall rose from his seat as Rinoa did and rounded the table to help her out of her seat. She thanked him quietly as he looked around. "Where is your jacket?"

"I didn't bring one," she shrugged as she snapped her purse closed. "It's not that cold and the ship isn't far."

"Oh…you're walking back?" he asked as they walked through the restaurant. Rinoa nodded. They thanked the host who seated them as they passed an exit.

"Well," she said as they stepped out of the restaurant. Squall held the door open for her, waiting until she and an elderly couple walked through before releasing it and joining her. "That was a delicious meal."

"It was."

"I bet you have a busy day tomorrow," she added.

"A few more meetings," he replied. "We leave the day after tomorrow."

"Oh," Rinoa nodded. She looked down at the pavement as they walked to the street and began heading up. "You sound busy. I'll let you go, then." She began to quicken her pace, but Squall's hand flew out and grasped her wrist.

"Wait!" He held her back and she looked over her shoulder, surprised. Squall hesitated. "I….Rinoa….." He looked down at her hand and quickly released her. "Let me walk you back," he offered as he lifted his gaze back to her eyes. "Please."

Part of her was screaming for her to say no; to deny him and avoid the confrontation that she knew would arise if she stayed with him any longer. Another part of her was drawn into his face. The more defined angles, the sharper eyes, the look of a man who had wanted just a few more moments of her time. How could she deny him after what she had done? She pulled her bottom lip and took a deep breath.

"Sure!" The smile across her face was not the one he was familiar with. It didn't reach her eyes and he was almost saddened to see it. "The ship I'm staying on isn't too far of a walk away."

Squall nodded and began to walk beside her. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," he said suddenly.

Rinoa nearly dropped her purse. "What?" she gasped she whirled to look at him. He furrowed his brows.

"When I grabbed your arm," he pointed out.

Her eyes darted to her wrist and she found herself nodding. "Oh…right," she agreed. She shook her head and offered him another smile. "It's nothing. You can never hurt me, Squall." It surprised her how true that still rang.

Beside her, the soldier nodded solemnly. "I just think I should at least escort you back," he asserted.

"Right, have to be chivalrous, eh?" Rinoa continued to put a smile on her face.

"It has nothing to do with that." His footsteps fell into synch with hers and she glanced at his face.

The words left her lips before she had a chance to stop them. "Then what does it have to do with?"

Squall continued to look ahead of them, down the sidewalk they were walking on. He wasn't sure what exactly, but he answered.

"It's been a while," he told her without meeting her eyes. "And we haven't really talked."

She jerked her head back. Her eyes crinkled up as she turned her head away shamefully. "There isn't really much to talk about," she tried to assert. "My job's pretty boring and I know you've probably got your hands full at the Garden. Whenever I email Quistis, she usually tells me you're holed up in your office." She frowned and looked at him. "That's not good for you, you know."

He cocked his head to the side. "You email Quistis about me?"

Her face flooded with color. "I like to check up on everyone back there!" Rinoa defended.

"Myself included?"

"Of course!" She stomped her foot on the ground, clutching her purse at her side as they stood at a street corner. They were half way to the pier where the transport vessel she was staying in was docked. Rinoa took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Yelling wouldn't do her any good. She knew what would happen when she opened her mouth and didn't think.

The questions and confessions would pour out. The hurt, the fear, the guilt, the doubt. She didn't want to deal with that now. Frantically, she turned away from him, trying to find something in the main plaza they were crossing through that could distract them.

A small, almost unheard chuckle came from beside her. Rinoa found herself looking back at Squall as a faint, relieved look fell across his face. "Nice to hear that."

"Squall?" she asked, confused. He was looking out at the plaza. In the early evening, the street lamps had turned on and families and couples, tourists and locals, wandered around, chatting amongst themselves and enjoying the refreshing sea breeze as a trio of accordion players played some music by the center fountain.

"It's changed a lot, hasn't it?" Squall asked as his eyes crinkled up. "What a difference a few years make."

She studied the side of his face and found herself nodding. "Yeah…."

He looked at her and smiled softly. "No matter what occurred in the past, something like this was still able to happen. It could've just been abandoned, but people choose to come back and rebuild. Now look at it." He looked back at the plaza. "All they needed was a chance. It's like everything we've worked for wasn't for nothing."

Brown eyes followed his. He was right and for a moment, she felt at peace. The music, the people...it was a happy moment and she didn't want to part with him on unhappy terms. Her mind suddenly formulated a plan. It was childish and would probably embarrass him, but it looked fun. Pink lips curled into a devilish smile.

"C'mon!" A hand clamped firmly on his and suddenly Squall found himself being pulled forward.

"Rinoa! What are you-"

"Look! Everyone's having fun, but no one's dancing!" Rinoa exclaimed as she plowed forward. Squall looked at the back of her head as if she had gone mad.

"Maybe no one wants to dance," Squall rolled his eyes as he stumbled on to the center plaza.

"That's just because no one wants to start," Rinoa assured him as she pulled him into the center, just before the fountain. She turned to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "So, we should get the party started for them!"

Squall looked at her. "You're crazy."

"Come on, Meanie! Participate!" the shorter brunette beamed in front of him. "Everyone's watching!"

For a moment, he caught a glimpse of the woman he had known years earlier. Her eyes were sparkling, her smile was sincere, and the air around them, for that moment, had a familiar energy that exasperated him, as well as made his heart beat faster. He let out a tired sigh.

Squall pulled away from her and her face began to fall. His hand dug into his pocket and pulled out some gil. Then he tossed them into the open instrument case in front of the musicians. "She likes to waltz."

It was an order more than a random statement and the musicians seemed to find amusement in the man who had been dragged across the street by his pretty girlfriend to dance in front of everyone. As he walked back to Rinoa, the people around the fountain seemed to clap and cheer him on.

"It hasn't even started yet," he grumbled as he took his place in front of her.

Rinoa couldn't seem to take the smile off her face. "Oh, shush. You know you're enjoying it."

The music started and Rinoa began to sway in place. An amused smile tugged at his lips. "A little." Their feet back to move and they began to circle a small area to the amusement of bystanders. A few couples rose from the benches and came from the surrounding grass lawn to join them.

"You've gotten better," Rinoa complimented as they wove between the half dozen other dancing couples.

"The result of having to attend more than my fair share of balls, dances, and other celebrations," Squall admitted. Rinoa giggled in his arms.

"I think they've served you well, Captain Leonhart," she beamed. He smiled back and swung her around. She let out a laugh.

A small one came from him and as the song went on, all he could remember was how much he had loved being with her. Rinoa giggled as she fell against him. His face softened. No – he remembered exactly how much he loved _her_.

She raised her eyes and met his face. The silly look on hers slowly melted off, softening as she found herself drawn into the familiar look he wore only for her. In those private moments, when it was as if they were the only two people in the world, his eyes would warm and a small smile would grace his lips. She would find herself lost in his expression.

The music around her seemed to fade into silence; only the rapid beating of her heart pounding in her ears could be heard. She became all too aware of how warm he was and the subtle scent from his soap that still lingered on him. Her body would stop whatever it was doing and move on its own accord. Even as she felt the heat of his breath against the tip of her nose, she didn't seem to realize what she was doing. Or wished to stop it.

He tasted like coffee.

Her eyes closed as her lips parted just a bit and welcomed him back inside her, filling an empty void that she had missed. He was hot and strong and familiar…and she had missed him so much.

She didn't know her arms had wrapped around his neck. She didn't know she had stopped. She didn't realize people were clapping.

It wasn't until Squall pulled away, gently prying her arms from around his neck that the environment they were in came rushing back. Rinoa's face filled with color as she heard the whistles and the claps. But the public display wasn't what alarmed her. A trembling hand rose from her side and to her lips.

She'd kissed the man she had left without a word.

"We should go," his voice was low as he gave a few people nods of gratitude before taking hold of her hand and pulling her through the crowd.

Rinoa stumbled after him, stunned by her own actions and unable to see his reaction. She thought they were just having a bit of fun; a distraction from the conversation that wanted to come out. For a moment, it was like it had been years ago; when they were together and happy and nothing had changed.

Her hand pulled out of his as they reached the other side of the street. Squall looked back at her quizzically.

"I'm sorry," she apologized before he could ask if she was alright. "I didn't mean to kiss you like that," she mumbled as she avoided his eyes. She quickly walked around him and headed as quickly as she could back to her ship.

"Then why did you do it?" Squall asked as he marched behind her.

"I don't know," she said. "It just…it just happened. Force of habit!" she insisted as she kept her eyes ahead of her.

"Force of habit?" Squall repeated. That was it. He couldn't keep it in any longer. The dreaded words left his lips. "Rinoa, I think we should talk."

"Squall, my ship leaves in the morning-"

He persisted. "This won't take until the morning."

She refused to look back at him, already feeling the tears stinging at her eyes. "Squall," her voice pleaded. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to tell him. "Please-"

"Why did you leave?" He dropped the bomb. It was the question she had been afraid of answering. Not because she didn't have a reason, but because her reason was so frivolous in retrospect and had hurt him.

"I don't want to talk about it!" She darted forward and for a moment, Squall was surprised that she was actually running away.

"Rinoa, wait!" Squall yelled. He shot after her, reaching her easily as they arrived at the dock and grabbed her wrist once more. "Just tell me why!"

She shook her head as her eyes swelled with tears. "What do you want me to say?" she choked out as she pulled away from him. "I didn't even say good-bye when I left and the next time I see you, did you think we would just start talking like we used to and I'd just tell everything?"

"No, but I do think we need to talk," Squall squinted his eyes. "Why didn't you say good-bye? Why did you leave?" he asked, confused. She saw pain in his eyes. "Did I do something wrong?" Her heart broke once more at the sound of his voice. Did he think it was his fault?

"No!" she cried out.

He didn't understand. "Then what happened?"

"I didn't want to leave - not for that long! It was only supposed to be for a little bit!" Rinoa answered, her voice cracking as it rose. "I was only going to do some aid work for a week while you were on a mission, but the situation became dire and they needed more people. I knew you'd be fine with me staying longer to help, but the efforts just got longer and longer…and before I knew it, three months had passed. I realized that you didn't try to contact me at all. I called the Garden to see if you were alright and they said you were fine, so I didn't understand why you didn't try to get a hold of me after I had been gone for so long."

"Rinoa, I know you can handle yourself," Squall told her. "You're a good fighter and you're dedicated to your causes. I knew if something bad happened to you, I'd be the first to know."

She looked at him as if he were an idiot. "So you didn't think to even check on me, even after that long!?"

"I had _confidence_ in you," Squall told her flatly. "That's not the same as not caring about you."

She choked back a cry. "I thought you didn't want me any more."

"Rinoa," he began carefully. "Why didn't _you_ contact _me_?" he asked. "Because you thought I didn't care about you?"

It was stupid now that she thought about it. How could a man who had put his life on the line for her, swore to stand by her in her worst moments, not care for her? Yet, when she was nineteen, she had been afraid that was the case.

Lingering doubts filled her mind and she found that every time she wanted to get in contact with him, she couldn't bring herself to. It was frustrating how it was so much easier to contact Quistis or Selphie than Squall; the man she had been living with. Perhaps it was because she knew she was hurting him.

"After a few months, I was too ashamed to contact you," Rinoa admitted quietly. "I thought…why would he wait for me? I hadn't called in months. I hadn't written any letters or sent any messages. It was like I dumped you without telling you and drew it out for weeks. Knowing how I was feeling, obviously you felt worse. _I_ did that to you. _I_ hurt you. Why would you wait for someone who did that?"

"Because I love you," Squall stated, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

She almost wanted to laugh at how simple his answer was. Even know he sounded so sure of it and she had been terrified.

"I was so scared," she cried out. "I couldn't even bring myself to write you a letter! Every time I tried to call, I was afraid that you'd answer and tell me it was over; that you wouldn't put up with me – and I wouldn't blame you! I was so scared to hear you tell me you hated me, I couldn't even call you! I know it's stupid, but I was afraid, Squall!"

"We were nineteen years old, Rinoa," he reminded her. "We should've known better, but we didn't. I should've called you, too, instead of thinking you left me."

"What reason would you have for me to leave you?" Rinoa asked. "I love you. You were everything I could ever want!" Everything was coming out now. "Even now, after all these years, you're still everything I want and…and…and I'm still scared. Things have changed, you were right. I'm not the same Rinoa and you're not the same Squall. I can't expect you take me back after I did something so pointless and ridiculous!"

Squall looked at her curiously. "Then you don't want to come back or try again."

"Of course, I want to come back! I want to try again! I want to, I've never stopped wanting to," Rinoa admitted, her voice weakening. "But I can't force myself on you. I won't do that to you."

He took a deep breath. "Rinoa, every week that had passed, the chances of you coming home grew slimmer and when I finally realized it had been far too long, I thought that maybe you had done it on purpose. That you didn't want to continue with the relationship."

She looked at him beseechingly. "And you thought I broke up with you?" Of course he would and she was afraid of confirming it.

A flicker of pain reached his eyes. "The reason I was promoted," he explained carefully. "Was because I spent every waking moment working, trying to forget about you."

Her chest ached. "Did it work?"

His eyes met hers. Slowly, he shook his head. "No."

Rinoa frantically wiped at her eyes and nose as she began crying. "I'm sorry!" she apologized in a mess of tears. "I thought you hated me! I thought you never wanted to see me again and I couldn't deal with it. I love you so much-"

Her words were cut off as she was crushed against his chest. Squall closed his eyes as he held her tightly against him. He pressed his lips against the side of her head her arms wrapped around him, her fingers clinging on to his uniform shirt.

"You have no idea how relieved I am," she heard him whisper roughly against her head. "I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me any more."

She shook her head as she buried her face against him "I want to go back, Squall," she cried. "I want to go back to the Garden, back to our room. I want to go back to how it was before."

He stroked the back of her head as he looked up at the ship just a few paces away, waiting for her to board it.

"Rinoa, you just can't come back," he told her reluctantly. She stiffened in his arms and pulled away, a hurt look on her face. "You still have a job to do and the Rinoa I know wouldn't just abandon it."

She sniffled. "I know," she admitted. "It's not that simple."

As she wiped at her eyes, he smiled slightly and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a handkerchief embroidered with the Garden's name and seal. He reached forward and wiped her face with it, encouraging her to blow into it to clear her nose.

"Rinoa, this isn't bad," he assured her as he stroked her bangs out of her face. "We cleared the air. We got answers."

"I'm still so sorry, Squall," she insisted as she grasped on to his shirt. "I made you wait for me and I just left…."

"I should've paid more attention," he reminded her. "I could've called. I should've called and made sure you were okay."

"I'm glad you had confidence in me," Rinoa attempted to smile. "My whole life no one ever really thought I was capable like you do. I should've had more confidence in you."

Squall lowered his eyes. They settled on her flushed, tear-streaked face and reddening eyes. "What do we do now?" he asked. "You can't just leave and I can't follow you."

Her eyes trailed down his face, lingering on his lips, his slight stubble, the muscles of his neck disappearing into the collar of his shirt.

Her tongue darted out between her lips and moistened them. Oh, what the hell? She couldn't let him leave so easily. "You can…," she hesitated slightly, avoiding his eyes. "Follow me…tonight." She'd _make_ him want to call her.

Her face was red and warm and it was clear it wasn't because she had been crying. "And tomorrow?" he asked. "Will you still leave with the ship?"

"Yes." She didn't hesitate. That Rinoa he fell in love with, the one who wanted to help, who wanted to make things better and make people happy…that hadn't changed. Some things didn't change.

He nodded and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Good."

Silently, her hands slipped into his. Small hands wrapped around his larger ones as she lead him into the ship.

* * *

Squall had been silent most of the ride back to the Garden. His few words revolved around transport, tickets, and a brief lecture on not eating anything 'risky' since she and Zell were still recovering from their food poisoning.

The perky brunette furrowed her brows in concern as she looked over at her friend and higher-ranking officer. Squall sat back against his seat, his head directed out the window and his face set in its usual stoic expression. The only difference was there was an odd, far-away look to his eyes; as if his mind was completely elsewhere.

Selphie pursed her lips and looked down at her hands. That was her fault. She should've told Squall he was going to meet Rinoa for dinner, but was afraid that if she told him, he wouldn't go. She had steeled herself as best she could that night, waiting for him to return and demote her.

But Squall hadn't returned that night.

He had come in quietly the next morning, checked on both her and Zell, and then went to sleep for two hours before his first meeting of the day. He hadn't mentioned a single thing about Rinoa or dinner or what had happened. It was as if it didn't happen at all.

That was what disturbed the shorter mercenary the most.

The jeep came to a stop at one of the side entrances to Balamb Garden and without a word, Squall climbed out and reached for his duffel. Selphie quickly scrambled out after him.

"Hey, Squall," she called out as he began walking up the path to the Garden.

"What is it?" he asked as he turned around and gave her a slightly expectant look. She shrank back just a bit.

"Um…about that dinner…," she trailed off. "Is everything okay?"

His expression didn't change. "Yes," he nodded. "Why?"

"Because you were having dinner with Rinoa and Selphie thinks you're going to demote her for setting you up," Zell said as he walked past them. Selphie wrinkled her nose and shot him a glare.

"Zell!" she yelled. She was going to kick his butt later.

"Don't worry about it," Squall told her as he turned around. "I'm not going to demote you."

She looked almost shocked. "Really?"

"It didn't have to do with work," Squall pointed out.

Selphie looked relieved. "Thanks, Squall!"

"Whatever."

He disappeared into the building and headed to his office to pick up any mail and check for any pending reports to look over before he retired for the day. He reached into his jacket pocket, fishing out his key card as he took the elevator up to his office's floor.

He made it halfway down the hall when he slowed down and heard noises coming from his office. He narrowed his eyes and stopped outside, by his assistant's desk. He glanced down at the desk; papers were neatly put away and the laptop had been taken home for the evening.

Squall frowned. Who was in his office? Very few had the key and he was well aware that all of those who did wouldn't enter unless it was an emergency.

He moved his key card across the sensor and the door slid open.

The slender figure pacing between the door and his desk came to an abrupt stop. She stood up straight, her arms flying stiffly to her side as she met his eyes. Two large bags were in a pile behind her feet and in one hand, she held a keycard – one he had given her several years earlier.

For a moment, he wasn't sure what to think and wondered if he were actually still asleep on the transport vessel and this was all a dream…that after he had watched her leave him, his subconscious decided to toy with him.

One pale arm rose and a hand nervously ran through her hair. She bit her lower lip, as she did whenever she was unsure of something.

Rinoa met his eyes. What was she doing? She gathered her things and told her main office that she was moving. To where, they had asked. She didn't know what had come over her other than the feeling that for several years she had been nomadic; going wherever she was said to be needed and now, she was going somewhere permanent. She loved what she was doing, she hadn't been lying to him when he told her, but part of her was missing something.

And that night, when she was with him, she felt she had found it. Now, she was standing before him; a product of her impulsiveness and hope, finding herself foolishly speechless even after hours of trying to explain why she was there.

What had they come to terms with in Dollet? That they were both idiots? That he was dense and shut out his hurt while she was afraid and ashamed? That he still loved her and that she still wanted to return to him?

Squall adjusted his bag over his shoulder. "How long have you been here?"

She swallowed a lump in her throat. He didn't sound mad, but he didn't sound pleased, either. "Two…three hours," she croaked. She cringed at her voice as he raised a brow. "Irvine let me in."

Squall nodded and quietly stepped around her. She felt a chill against her skin as he did so and willed herself to turn around and face him. He stopped beside his desk and went through the stack of folders and envelopes in his inbox. She remained rooted in her spot, waiting until he finished.

He tossed the papers back into the box. "These can wait," he said quietly. Squall walked back around and reached down beside her. "Your bags?" he asked, pausing a bit.

She nodded. Was he going to kick her out? Her heart tightened in her chest. "Yes."

He nodded and grabbed one large duffel bag and slung it across his body then grasped the other's handle with his hand. When they were secure around him he stood up and headed towards the door. "Come on," he told her.

Rinoa's heart sank. He was going to take her outside and call for a taxi, she just knew it. Lowering her head, she began to shuffle after him, trying to hold back any tears. This was a mistake.

A warm hand slipped around one of hers. Brown eyes shot from the calloused hand grasping hers before looking up.

"Can you close the door?" Squall asked as he led her into the hall. Rinoa nodded dumbly.

"Yeah," she murmured. She fumbled with her keycard before the door slid closed behind them. "Where are we going?" she asked as he continued to hold her hand and led her forward.

"I have a new apartment," Squall replied as they reached the elevator. He looked over his shoulder and gave her a questioning look as they stopped in front of it. Rinoa's eyes were growing damp and her face was turning red. "Are you alright?"

She sucked in a heavy breath and shook her head. "I'm going to get to stay with you, right?" she asked carefully. "You're not just letting me stay for the night and then make me leave?"

He smiled slightly. He released her hand and lifted his to caress the side of her face intently. "Leave? I thought you had come home."

"Squall," she sniffled as she tried to wipe at her eyes. Relief rushed through her and she jumped forward, throwing her arms around him. "I'm home!" She forgot about the luggage he was carrying.

"Rinoa - the bags!"

A ding filled the hall and the doors slid open. "So, I told her to just wait in his office until he gets-whoa!" Irvine's arms flew out on either side of him, slamming against the elevator doorframe to keep himself from falling over the couple on the floor.

"Rinny!" Selphie piped happily as she peeked beneath Irvine's arm and saw the brown-eyed brunette on top of the man surrounded by several bags on the floor.

"You couldn't wait to get to your apartment?" Irvine asked as he grinned. "I didn't think you had it in you, Captain."

Behind a mess of dark hair, Squall's blue eyes shot Irvine a glare. "Get in the elevator," he growled in a low voice as Rinoa giggled on top of him and buried her face against the side of his neck.

Irvine gave him a mock salute before pulling Selphie back into the lift and allowed the doors to close. Rinoa lifted her head up and looked down at him, smiling that smile he loved. "Sorry about that, Captain," she beamed, lopsidedly. He lifted one hand to her face once more and gently stroked her hair. She relaxed against him, her face softening. "I'm home, Squall."

He craned his neck up and grazed her lips with his. "Welcome back."

* * *

**Squall's Office, Early Evening**

"Hold on, hold on," a voice said as the stack of papers was placed on the table. Blue eyes looked across at a confused man across from him. Seifer looked up from his laptop and removed the glasses from the bridge of his nose.

"What?" he spat out, somewhat annoyed. "You got something against the ending? I told you, I'm not into those fairy-tale, frou-frou endings where the prince rides off into the sunset or some crap."

"It's not that," Squall replied. "I have issues with the beginning."

"The beginning?" the blond scowled. He narrowed his eyes. "What could possibly be wrong with the beginning? It's a perfect set up! Two lovers who grew apart are reunited for a night, which brings them together!"

"I'm talking about the part where the secondary character throws up on the main character," Squall frowned. "That's kind of unnecessary."

"Yes it is," Seifer replied sternly. "It's clearly a way to show people just how sick she is and thus is unable to make it to the catalyst dinner."

"It's disgusting."

"It's funny."

"It's clichéd."

"It's classic."

"Since when was one character throwing up on another as a way to get them to go to dinner a classic?" Squall frowned.

A knock sounded from his door. "Squall? Are you in there?" The door creaked open and Rinoa peeked in. "We're going to go get dinner, are you coming?"

"I think we're about done here," Seifer said as he slipped his glasses into his coat pocket with one hand while lowering the top of his laptop with the other.

"Hey, Seifer," Rinoa greeted. She raised an eyebrow curiously at the two of them in the Captain's office. "You two have been spending quite a lot of time together lately. Is this project Cid gave you that stressing?"

"Oh, yeah," Seifer crouched down by the wall and tugged the plug out from the outlet. "Really difficult, Rinoa. Your tiny mind cannot comprehend how complex this project is."

She shot him an irritated glare as Squall rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever," he mumbled. He pushed himself back and rose to his feet behind his desk. "Not fighting a massive war is great, but that makes it difficult for mercenary schools."

"I hope you guys are doing well on the budgeting," Rinoa sighed. Squall reached her side and she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss the side of her husband's cheek. "How is that business proposition your dad suggested going?"

A sly smirk graced Seifer's face as he tucked his laptop under his arm and eyed the brown-haired man. "Funny you should ask."

"It's going fine," Squall said in a low voice, glaring daggers at Seifer in an effort to silence him. Rinoa' s eyes darted from one man to the other before rolling her eyes and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Okay, well, you two go ahead and finish up whatever you're doing. I'll go meet the others downstairs," she said as she began to slip out the door. "Also, Seif – Quistis said you're coming to dinner with us, so yeah…."

"What?" Before he could argue further, the door closed and he was alone with his rival-friend-co-author, if they could be called such. He snorted and looked at Squall. "Great, another few hours with you."

"I'm so thrilled for it, as well," Squall said deadpan as he grabbed his keys from the table. Seifer stood by the door and prepared to leave.

"Same time next week?" he asked to confirm.

"Same time. I'll let you know what Sis says about your short story."

"I expect nothing but praise," Seifer said coolly. He opened the door and stepped out. Squall followed behind him and turned off the lights in his office.

"Don't be too disappointed, though," Squall said as the door slid closed. "When my article next week trumps yours."


	2. What Rinoa Wants (Squall's Rom-Com)

"Did you take your medicine?" a brunette asked as she poured some cereal into a bowl. It was late in the evening, but she wanted a snack and she had already used up the last of her microwavable popcorn.

"Yes," her father replied stiffly. "And I went for a walk."

"Now, don't over exert yourself, Dad," Rinoa asserted as she kept her phone pinned between her ear and shoulder. She turned around in her flat's kitchen and opened a refrigerator door. Brown eyes scanned the near empty shelves for food. They settled on a carton of milk and widened with hope. "You just got out of the hospital a few days ago." She grabbed the carton and her smile fell. It was empty, too.

"I told you I'm fine. It was a minor stroke and I'm all right. I just have to be a bit more careful now," General Caraway replied, somewhat annoyed. "I'm not a feeble old man yet, Rinoa."

"Of course not," his daughter replied as she tossed the empty container disappointedly into the recycling bin. She looked back at her bowl of dry cereal on the counter. "I just want you to take care of yourself better. I mean…mom's gone and she can't be there to nag you into eating better. I'm here in Esthar and can't always call you to tell you to eat right."

"I'd block your calls."

"I'm sure you would, Dad," Rinoa rolled her eyes. She let out a heavy sigh and resigned herself to eating dry, sugar-frosted cereal. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer and shoved it into her bowl before taking it to her living room to eat on the couch. "But I'm just concerned." She passed by her dog and reached down to scratch Angelo's head.

"To be honest, Rinoa, I am, too," Caraway admitted. Rinoa carefully sat down on her sofa and cradled the bowl on her lap. "Lance Corporal Burgundy came by today and informed me that you informed him that you were uninterested."

"And it starts," Rinoa mumbled under her breath as she shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth and chewed on the dry bits as her father continued.

"Did you not like him? I thought you liked that athletic, not too smart and what not," her father demanded.

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Just because I told Lieutenant what's-his-name from the army engineering corps that I wasn't interested doesn't mean I want someone stupid, Dad."

"But I was right with the athletic physique?"

She shuddered. "Dad, please. This isn't necessary."

"Yes, it is, Rinoa. When your mother was your age, she already had you," Caraway reminded her.

"I work."

"So did your mother."

"Dad…."

"Rinoa." She could almost _hear_ him frowning. "Rinoa, please," he sighed, exasperated. "Can you at least give one of these young men a chance? You meet them for coffee just to tell them you are not interested."

"That is because I'm not interested!" Rinoa asserted. "I'm not looking for a relationship right now, Dad."

"But why not? You're old enough," he pointed out. "You have a career. You're responsible and have your own place. The next logical step is to get married and give me grandchildren."

That was it. That was what it was all about. After her father retired from the military, he had begun prodding Rinoa about finding someone to marry and producing grandchildren for his amusement. At first, Rinoa had simply dismissed his ranting about how old she was getting and how it would be nice to have children to spoil – even though he most certainly did not spoil her as a child. She assumed her father was just bored after retiring.

So she sent him some golf clubs and encouraged him to try a round at his local golf course to see if he liked it. He didn't. She tried to get him to volunteer, but even the veterans' center where he was volunteering only called for him when they desperately needed more manpower. Apparently, her father scared people and was 'mean'.

It was when his comments urging her to get married became demands for grandchildren and he began to send men to her that became a problem. She was sure that normal fathers didn't do that sort of thing, but she began to receive flowers from various people she knew her father knew, including several military officers, some business man he met while attempting to play golf, and his mechanic.

Rinoa thought he found his calling when he took up a class she described to her neighbors as 'for old people yoga'. That had been all well and good until he got a stroke in the middle of a class. How her father was able to yoga himself into a stroke was beyond hers, but she had immediately flown back to Deling City once she was called. Luckily, it was minor and he was relatively fine.

Rinoa told him, in person, to stop having men send her flowers and, in true General Caraway fashion, he took it as a sign that she wanted to meet them in person. She had 'casually bumped into' two men so far and she wanted it to stop. The last one had been sent after her father had been hospitalized and she wondered if he were trying to either wear her down or do a sort of process of elimination to find out what kind of men she liked. Perhaps it was both.

"I told you, I am not interested in dating right now. I have other things to take care of," Rinoa frowned. "And I'm not going to get married and have children just so you can have grandchildren!"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I'd rather not have this option, but if you don't want to get married, I can accept that."

She let out a breath of relief. "Thank you!"

"You can have children without marrying."

She hung up. Shaking her head. Rinoa tossed her phone on the other side of the sofa and continued shoveling dry cereal into her mouth and watching the crime drama on television. Her phone rang again and she just eyed the device, irritated. Before it could go to voice mail, she snatched it up.

"Hello?" she asked, already knowing it was her father.

"I think the line dropped," General Caraway pointed out. Rinoa rolled her eyes once more. "As I was saying, I'm fine with that option, as well."

"Dad, I'm not having children yet!" Rinoa exclaimed. Angelo whined from the floor by the couch and Rinoa gave her an apologetic look. "I'm not ready to have children!" she added in a lower voice.

"I'm not getting any younger, Rinoa," he told her. "Who knows how long I have left."

She ran a hand down her face. "Dad, that's not funny."

"Of course it isn't. However, if you really feel that you aren't ready for children, then I'll have to come see for myself," Caraway said. "I'm sure things aren't as hectic as you say. You always tended to blow things out of proportion."

"What? No! That's not necessary-"

"Too late! I've already clicked 'pay' for a Galbadian Airlines ticket," her father seemed to mock her. "I'll be there in a week."

"What!?" Rinoa nearly dropped her bowl of cereal. "Are you even healthy enough to fly?"

"I don't know. Perhaps I should ask someone to come with me to escort me there safely," General Caraway sounded as if he were smirking. "You know, there were a few volunteers I met at the center who may be able to come. They're young, strapping young men-"

"Dad, stop!" Rinoa groaned. "Don't even think about bringing other men here!"

" _Other_ men?" Caraway prodded. "Oh? Do you already have one? Is that why you won't want to date any of the men I've sent?"

"Fine! Yes," Rinoa conceded, frustrated. "That's why I want you to stop. I'm already dating someone!"

"Wonderful! I can't wait to meet him!"

"Wait-"

"I'll see you in a few days, Rinoa!" Caraway assured her. "Have a goodnight, Princess." He hung up and Rinoa found herself staring at her phone, dumbstruck. Her spoon fell into her now empty bowl.

* * *

"Quistis…." A voice whined behind the wooden door of the flat across from Rinoa's. Her knocking was low, but persistent. "Quistis…help me…." A tall blond reached the door and pulled it open, sending a petite brunette who had been leaning against the door tumbling to the ground. "Quistisss…."

"Let's get one thing straight," a clearly masculine voice said above her. "This is _my_ apartment. Not Quistis's."

"But she's always here," Rinoa said from the floor.

"That doesn't mean it's her apartment!" Seifer seethed. "Get off my floor, Rinoa. What do you want?"

"I want to talk to Quistis," she said as she brushed herself and stood up. "Is she in?" Seifer gave her a deadpan look.

"Quistis!" he finally shouted over his shoulder. "The annoying little girl from across the hall requires your attention!"

Rinoa shot him a glare as footsteps came from inside the room. "What's going?" a woman with glasses asked as she reached the door. She was still in her nightgown and her robe was open. "Rinoa, are you alright?"

"No, I have a problem and I need someone to help me come up with a solution."

"Oh, big surprise," the male blond snorted.

"Seifer," Quistis warned. "What's the problem, Rinoa?"

"I need a boyfriend." Quistis's hand immediately shot out and clamped over Seifer's mouth before he could say something insulting. He let out a low grumble. He had a really good quip for that, too.

"I'm sorry," the other woman began, confused. "Come again?"

"My dad is coming to visit and he thinks the reason I rejected all those guys is because I already have a boyfriend, so I need someone to pretend to be my boyfriend while my dad is here," Rinoa rambled.

Both Seifer and Quistis stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Rinoa, did you tell your father that?"

"Not intentionally," Rinoa admitted. "It just kind of happened…," she trailed off. She looked at Quistis pleadingly. "But I don't know any other guys except for the ones at work and they're all older or already involved! That's why I came to you."

"Have you thought about just simply telling your father you don't have a boyfriend?" Quistis asked.

Seifer snorted once more and wandered back into his apartment. "That's opening up an even bigger can of worms, Quisty. You don't know her father!"

She shot him a glare before looking back at Rinoa. "Then why not tell him that your boyfriend is out of the country on a business trip or something?" Quistis suggested.

"I thought of that," Rinoa shook her head. "He'll still want to meet him and sooner or later. Plus I don't have any pictures or what not to prove it to him without an actual person, in person."

Quistis lowered her eyes and rubbed her chin. "I suppose I can call around and see if one of my friends from military school is available."

"Thank you, Quistis!" Rinoa said as she threw her arms around the blonde. The older woman chuckled and hugged her back. "Did I ever tell you how much more I like you than Seifer? You're too good for him, you know."

"Hey!" a voice shouted from within.

Quistis laughed. "I know."

"Quistis!"

"Just leave everything to me," the blue-eyed woman promised her. "When is your father coming?"

"Sunday."

"Sunday," she nodded. "Alright, I'll find someone by then."

* * *

Quistis and Seifer had disappeared. Either that or Seifer had simply refused to answer the door when they knew it was her. Rinoa's hands gripped the steering wheel of her modest little car as they drove to the city. On her passenger's seat, her father casually looked out the window at the glass and steel buildings of the technology savvy city.

"I thought your boyfriend was going to meet me at the airport with you," he stated.

The corner of her eye twitched. He would've if she could track down Quistis and ask her if she was able to find someone to help with her conspiracy. "I told you, Dad," Rinoa forced a smile. "He's busy and couldn't come."

"That's too bad."

"Yes, it is…," she mumbled she signaled to turn and park into the underground structure of her building. She parked in her spot and helped her father with his bags. They waited for the elevator and Caraway looked around.

"Not bad," the retired general acknowledged. "Does your boyfriend live around here?"

"No," she answered quickly. "He lives quite a bit away."

"What does he do for a living again?" he asked.

"You can ask him that when you meet him and get to know him," Rinoa assured him. That was, if her father ever got to meet him. The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. Silently, she prayed that she would be able to find Quistis that afternoon and ask about her prospective boyfriend.

"Is he smart?"

"Yes." _I hope._

"Hard working?"

"Of course." _Please, Quistis, don't let me down_.

"I take it he's also good-looking."

She could let that slide. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Dad!" she said as they reached her floor. "Just don't get your expectations too high," she said as she dragged his bag behind her and tried to smile. "I mean, you may not even like my boyfriend! I'm sure he's not what you'd expect at all-"

"There she is," a voice as she turned the corner. The door to the flat across from hers was open and three people were lingering by the doorway. Seifer looked like he had just gotten back from the gym and still had his towel around his neck and Quistis was in a long pink dress and white cardigan she liked to wear on weekends.

The third person was someone she had never seen before, but suddenly wished she saw more often. He was Quistis's height with short, messy brown hair that fell over blue eyes and had a military issued duffel bag over his shoulder. He had turned around and placed a light smile on his face.

"Rinoa." Her father's bag dropped to her side as she stared. Those eyes. That voice…. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to go to the airport with you. I just got back." He was walking over. Her heart was slamming against her chest. This couldn't be who she thought it was.

"Rinoa, who is this man?" Caraway frowned as he stepped beside his daughter and eyed the newcomer critically.

"Sir!" He saluted her father. Rinoa's mouth almost dropped. "Captain Squall Leonheart, Esthar Garden, sir!" After he received a salute back, he lowered his hand and held it front of him. "An honor to meet you, General Caraway. I am Rinoa's boyfriend."

* * *

"I don't understand," Quistis said as Rinoa paced Seifer's living room. "You don't like Squall?"

After putting his things away in his guest room at Rinoa's, Caraway had insisted on taking Squall out for drinks before dinner, without her, to get to know him. Rinoa had said no and that he shouldn't be drinking alcohol anyway. Her father was stubborn and, to her horror or satisfaction – she wasn't sure which yet, Squall had interjected.

"I agree," he said diplomatically. "But there is a coffee shop near-by and they have some tea if you're not up to the coffee. I'd be happy to go with you, sir."

Her mouth dropped. Even as she tried to give feeble excuses to stop them, her father and the stranger she just met walked out. It was then that she ran back across the hall.

"I want to assure you that Squall is a perfectly trustworthy man," Quistis told her. "We went to school together and he was always a diligent student."

Rinoa just stared at her. "Quistis, that Squall person just walked out to have a man to man talk with my father!" she exclaimed, horrified. "What are they going to talk about!? Squall doesn't know anything about me!"

"Yes, he does," Seifer said from the kitchen. "We gave him a dossier."

Rinoa's eyes crinkled up. "You gave him a _what_?"

"A dossier. It's a full report on your background to help him prepare in so little time. That reminds me," Quistis said as she dug through her bag. She pulled out a small, stapled packet of paper. "This is his dossier you need to review. It's got his information, including the back story on how you two met."

Rinoa stared at the paper. "You wrote a story on how we met?" she choked out. This was admittedly a bit more than she expected.

"Seifer did," Quistis smiled. "He's rather good at-"

"Quistis," a low voice warned.

"Bullshitting," she concluded. Rinoa looked over the front page. It had information on Squall: where he went to school, his family, his birthday, and his hobbies.

"He likes riding bicycles through fields of flowers and picnics in the country side?" Rinoa raised an eyebrow.

Quistis smiled weakly. "We don't actually know what Squall's hobbies are…."

Rinoa gaped. "I thought you knew him!"

"We do, just not that much. He's a very private person," the blonde said. Rinoa sighed tiredly and stuck the dossier under her arms as she covered her face with her hands.

"I'm starting to have hesitations," she mumbled stupidly. "Thanks, though." A bit calmer than when she had arrived, Rinoa lumbered out.

Seifer looked up from the kitchen. "Think she'll cave in and tell her father the truth?"

"It's only for a week," Quistis reminded him. "But, you have a point. I don't think she'll make it either."

Outside, Rinoa crossed the hall and went back into her apartment. She immediately saw Squall's duffel bag on the floor and let out a heavy breath. The door closed behind her and she marched to her room to begin to read the dossier of a man who, as of that moment, spent more than with her father than his supposed girlfriend.

* * *

He was polite, nodded at the appropriate moments, and even had some things of value to say throughout their dinner. Rinoa was happy her father seemed to be enjoying Squall's company, but couldn't help but be unnerved that the young soldier was getting along well with her father. She wasn't sure if that was really the kind of person he was; generally quiet and respectful, or simply acting that way for her father's approval.

As the evening came to an end, Squall, who had driven them to dinner, pulled up to the front of the Rinoa's building. He stopped the car and prepared to get out to open the door for his 'girlfriend', when General Caraway unbuckled his seat belt.

"Oh, it's not necessarily to get out, Squall. I can get out here," the retired general told him.

"Thank you, Sir, but I'll go ahead and open the door for Rinoa," Squall assured him politely. In the seat beside him, Rinoa's hand lingered over the door handle, a flush filling her face. Of course he had to do all the chivalrous, gentlemanly stuff. What else would she expect? He'd been unfairly perfect so far. Silently, she cursed Quistis. Would it have hurt her neighbor's fiancée to find a guy with just a few flaws?

"No, no, it's fine," General Caraway said as they pulled up to the building. "I've monopolized your time long enough. You two go ahead."

Rinoa raised a brow. "What are you talking about, Dad?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder from the passenger seat of Squall's jeep. "We're going to the same place."

Caraway looked at his daughter curiously. "You'd rather spend time with your old man than your boyfriend who you haven't spent time with in months because he's been stationed in Balamb?"

She froze in her seat. "Oh…of course! I was just…you know, you just arrived, too," she pointed out weakly.

The car parked in front of the building and Squall reached over and took Rinoa's hand. "That's very kind of you, sir. I'll be sure to bring her back in one piece."

Seemingly pleased, the General gave an approving nod and slipped out of the jeep. He closed the door and the couple inside watched as Caraway entered the building. As soon as the doors closed, Rinoa pulled her hand away from Squall's, looking rather irritated.

"What was that all about!?" she demanded with a frown. "You didn't have to do that!"

"I wanted some time to talk to you privately," he stated as he started the vehicle once more. Beside him, he didn't seem to notice Rinoa's eyes widen as her face turned a nice, burning pink. "I wanted to confirm the information that was provided on the dossier Quistis gave me and discuss any possible plans you may have this week with your father that may involve me."

This wasn't a 'talk to you privately' request for personal reasons, as a small part of her happy to hear it hoped, but it was purely business. She couldn't help but be somewhat disappointed.

"Oh," she slumped back in her seat. She sighed heavily and reached for the seat belt, bringing it back across her body. "Sounds good. I've been meaning to talk to you about that, too."

"Did you get a dossier on me, also?" he asked as the car began moving.

"Yes," she admitted. She had skimmed over it, making a point to remember some of his background information, such as his sister, his widowed father, and his birthday, but had stopped after getting halfway through the story about how she met Squall. It had been almost too embarrassing to read and she wondered what had been going through Seifer's mind when he wrote it.

"This shouldn't take long," Squall promised her as they stopped at a light. "I don't really have any questions about you that your father already hasn't answered."

"What?" Rinoa looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"When we went for coffee, he seemed very interested in how well I knew you. Quistis did say that he may suspect that I'm not really your boyfriend, so I had made sure to answer accordingly," Squall told her. "I also went along with the story of how we met. Is that alright?"

Her brown eyes flickered out the windows, somewhat embarrassed. In Seifer's story, they had met on in a metro station. Rinoa had bumped into him while being 'highly distracted'. Squall had been returning home after returning to the city via Garden transport and she hit him, and fell back. Squall helped her up and quietly apologized and hoped she was well before continuing on his way. Rinoa had been so distracted by Squall's 'cerulean orbs' that she missed her train. She had returned every day to the metro station until Squall finally appeared once more. She then feigned running into him again, this time apologizing and insisting that she pay him back for ruining his uniform, as she had been holding a cup of cold coffee.

Squall had said no and that he had to go. Rinoa was disappointed, but before the doors closed, Squall said that he'd be returning in two weeks and that he'd meet her at the coffee shop by that metro station. The doors closed and Squall was zipped away, but Rinoa was elated. Two weeks later, despite being called crazy by her 'older, wiser neighbor' – who she presumed was Quistis, after reading the dossier – she went to the shop. Squall didn't show up.

Just as she left, after the shop closed, a panting, still in uniform, with his military duffel over his shoulder, Squall arrived, having been delayed. They got together and began their relationship.

"That's fine," Rinoa replied. She let out an awkward laugh. "It was a bit ridiculous, though."

"It was a bit dramatic," Squall agreed. "But it sounded reasonable enough." He glanced over at her, a small smile barely tugging at his lips. "Would you really wait all day in a coffee shop for someone?"

She blushed in her seat. "For the right person, maybe."

He chuckled slightly as they turned the corner. "That's good." Rinoa smiled to herself as they continued to drive. They didn't make it very far, perhaps two or three blocks, before Squall parallel parked in front of a brightly lit corner store that had a line inside.

"What is this place?" Rinoa asked as she looked out the window. She didn't live far away, but she hadn't stopped by there before.

"It's called bubble tea," Squall replied. Rinoa furrowed her brows and looked from the brightly lit, pastel, cutesy little shop to the man in the black leather jacket beside her. Squall looked away sheepishly and she figured he knew exactly what she was thinking – a bubble teashop was not the drink of choice of a mercenary. "One of my teammates loves it and she insisted that all girls would love bubble tea. Personally, it's too sweet."

She couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "And did you suddenly just get a craving for something sweet?" she prodded teasingly.

He hesitated. "I thought you might like it." Damn it. She'd known him for less than twelve hours, under such ridiculous circumstances, and he was already making the situation difficult. He seemed to straighten up and fight off his embarrassment as he met her gaze. "Besides, it might kill some time. I'm sure your father expects us to be gone, even for a little bit. I figure, we can order something and then I can walk you back to your apartment. That should buy us enough time."

He was going to walk her home. They weren't teenagers any more; that knowledge shouldn't have made her heart skip a beat or her insides twist or her entire body tingle. "Right!" she agreed. "And we went out for something and I'll bring home as proof! Excellent plan!" She beamed as she quickly as she fumbled with the door handle. She couldn't seem to open it and she looked down at it, wondering why it wasn't opening.

"You forgot to unlock it," Squall said as he reached over and pressed a button. Rinoa's face flushed once more as his arm brushed against hers.

She let out a quiet, sheepishly laugh before opening the door and quickly getting out of the car. He held the door open for her as they went inside the store. As they stood in line, Rinoa looked at the massive menu across the wall and rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"What are you getting?" she asked.

"Coffee," Squall replied. He looked over at the woman beside him as he tugged on his sleeve.

"What do you think I should get?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know. Whatever you want," he shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow. "Alright, let's try this again," she challenged. "If you really were my boyfriend, what would you think I'd get?"

Squally furrowed his brows. "My friend likes the strawberry one and her boyfriend likes the green tea," he pointed out. His eyes seemed to study her. "You'd probably get melon."

She smiled brightly. "Melon it is then!" she agreed. After giving their order, they stood to the side to wait for their drinks. Rinoa peered over the counter, watching with interest as they prepared the tapioca balls to put into her drink.

"About your father," Squall said behind her. She looked over her shoulder and quickly stood up straight. That was right; they were there for business, not just a tasty treat. "He said he's only here for a week."

"Yes," Rinoa nodded. "I may need to contact you a few more times for a dinner or something with my father, though. Definitely a good-bye dinner next week. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"No, it's fine," Squall assured her. "I'm off duty for a month, actually, and then I'll be doing where at the Garden here, so I'm free," he told her absent-mindedly as he dug into his pocket. He took out a phone. "May I have your phone number?"

Rinoa nodded and recited it carefully. "Call me so I can save your number, too," she urged after he saved it. She held her phone in preparation and smiled, satisfied when his number popped up. "Great!"

"Just let me know ahead of time," he told her.

"Number 78!" the man at the counter called. Rinoa shot forward to get their drinks, eager to try it out. Squall showed her how to distribute the tapioca balls within before piercing the top with a large straw. As they walked out of the shop, Rinoa took a long sip and nodded.

"This is good," she said, almost surprised. "I'm definitely coming here again."

Squall chuckled as he took a sip of his own drink. "I'm glad you like it." He seemed to be drinking his eagerly.

"I thought you said it was too sweet for you," she pointed out slyly.

"This is coffee…it's not too sweet," he assured her unconvincingly. Rinoa laughed.

"Thanks for the drink," she added. She paused and looked up at him. "And for your help."

"It's no problem," he said. "Quistis is an old friend and I owed her a favor."

"Right, a favor." Silently she berated herself for thinking anything but. Squall wasn't doing this for her. He was doing this for his friend. "I'll pay you back for dinner, by the way. You were dragged into it. Oh, and for coffee, too."

"Don't worry about it," he assured her. "It wasn't bad."

"Still," Rinoa insisted. "We should keep this purely professional. I'll pay for any expenses you incur while we're 'dating' if my father is involved."

"Rinoa-"

"And of course, since this is a whole fake dating thing, we'll limit any physical interaction to holding hands and, if pressed, greeting and good-bye kisses on the cheek, and only in front of my father. Hugs are also acceptable. Let's try to avoid about talking about any sort of commitment – that'll only give Dad ideas," Rinoa warned knowingly. "So let's keep it generally casual."

Beside her, Squall was silent. He seemed to mull over the lines drawn before nodding his head slowly. "If that's what you want."

Rinoa nodded, but felt her chest ache just a bit. She could've sworn he sounded disappointed. Which was silly, she told herself. As silence settled over them, Rinoa forced herself to fill in the conversation with idle chatter. She began rambling about her life, her dog, and by the time they neared her building, she realized she hadn't asked about him at all. They reached the door to her apartment and she turned to Squall, offering him as happy a smile as she could. "Well, thanks so much! After this is over, I owe you."

He nodded solemnly. "It's no problem," he assured her. The stood in front of each other a moment longer, neither moving and Rinoa wasn't sure what to expect next. Finally, Squall spoke and turned around. "Uh…I'll see you next time."

Rinoa watched as he began quickly walking back down the sidewalk. When he turned the corner, she let out an audible groan and ran her hand down her face before entering her building. Why had she just stood there? Did she expect him to kiss her? They had _just met_.

She pushed her door open and stumbled tiredly into her flat. "Rinoa! You're back earlier than expected," her father said from the kitchen, where he was opening a can of dog food for an eagerly awaiting Angelo.

"Squall just got back. I didn't want to keep him out late. He needed to rest," Rinoa rambled as she swept past.

"You're going to sleep already?"

"I've got work tomorrow!" she shouted from the hall. "Goodnight, Dad!" Her door closed and she placed her drink to her desk before shrugging her jacket off. She placed her jacket on the back of her chair and stopped as she looked down at the dossier on her laptop. His information was staring back at her and her eyes focused on his likes. Smirking slightly, she shook her head. She took a pen and crossed out the typed letters about picnics and wrote 'likes bubble tea'.

Sighing, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. It was going to be a long week.

* * *

"Wait, you're where?" Rinoa demanded as she sat up straight at her desk. The spreadsheet on her monitor was completely forgotten as brown eyes narrowed.

"And the Glass Golf Club," her father replied, sounding pleased. "Although, we're leaving in just a bit."

Rinoa's mouth dropped. How did her father get into the most exclusive golf course in the country? "Dad, what are you doing there?"

"Squall brought me," General Caraway told her. She felt another blow to the stomach. "I was hesitant at first, as my prior experience with golf was rather frustrating, but he was able to get me some lessons with Kiros Seagill! The man is a genius, Rinoa. No wonder he has won every major title at least once."

"He…Squall…what!?" Rinoa cried out. She turned to her side and started digging through her bag for the dossier she had tossed in there the night before. "What are you doing out with Squall!?"

"I was bored and ran into Seifer yesterday while you were at work. He suggested that I call Squall since Squall is currently on a month long leave," her father told her.

"So Seifer gave you Squall's phone number?" Rinoa choked out. Her eyes were scanning the dossier as quickly as she could. As she flipped through the pages, she saw it. It was a brief sentence, but apparently, he came from an elite, wealthy background. His father was a politician and his mother owned a chain of restaurants and bars that his adopted older sister now ran.

"No, Squall gave it to me when we went out for coffee when I arrived." Rinoa nearly dropped her phone. Her father had her so-called boyfriend's phone number _before she did_. She vaguely heard someone's voice behind her father's. "What? Don't be ridiculous, Squall. Of course she won't mind."

"Mind what!?" his daughter demanded loudly. Several pairs of eyes turned to her and she crouched down at her desk.

"I was talking to him about Galbadian food. Did you know that his father is from Galbadia? His mother apparently used to cook some amazing foods, so I've invited him over to cook dinner for us tonight."

Rinoa grit her teeth and closed her eyes tightly. "Dad, you can't just invite someone over to cook."

"Why not?" her father snorted. "Do you not want to see your boyfriend?"

She clenched the phone. "Of course I do, Dad," she began slowly. "It's just that I'm sure Squall is busy."

"He said he's not. Rinoa, don't be rude."

"I'm not the one being rude!"

"I have to go. The valet just brought up Squall's car. We'll see you when you get home," her father concluded.

"Dad!? Dad!" A dial tone echoed in her ears and Rinoa looked at the phone, horrified. "I have get home," she mumbled. She began shoving her things into her bag. She shot up and darted out the door, barely telling her boss she was going to work from home the rest of the afternoon.

Rinoa found herself surprised when she finally parked her car and realized she had made it home without a speeding ticket. She looked at her watch and silently prayed her father wasn't home yet. As she threw open the door to her flat, she could hear voices from the kitchen and silently swore.

"…and then she burnt the pan. That's why we had to go out to dinner again last night." She didn't know whether to be humiliated or not. Rinoa rounded the hall and saw her father sitting on a stool at the breakfast counter while Squall was chopping vegetables on the other side. Fury noticed her first. "Ah! Rinoa! You're home early. I was just telling Squall about how you tried to cook yesterday."

Great. Now Squall knew that she couldn't cook. "I heard," she began weakly. She placed her bag on a chair and casually walked into the kitchen. "Hey there, Squall," she said. She glanced at her father before quickly placing a quick kiss on Squall's cheek. She didn't notice him blush slightly as he continued cutting.

"Sorry about this," Squall whispered.

"We need to talk later," she answered. She smiled back at her father. "So, did you have fun playing golf? Are you going to give it another try when you get home?"

"I'll see if I can find some partners and try it out," her father told her proudly. "Although, Squall here has spoiled me. Getting me into the Glass Golf Club to play an actual round with Kiros Seagill of all people! I doubt any course in Galbadia will compare."

"I'm glad. Now you'll actually get a use for those clubs I got you," Rinoa smiled. "You're still in your golf clothes, Dad. Why don't you go change? I'll help Squall prepare out here."

Her father raised a brow and glanced from the mercenary to his daughter and tried to hide a knowing smirk. "Good idea. I'll just leave you two here, alone."

Rinoa inwardly groaned as her father made a quiet exit. As soon as she heard the door to his room close, she turned back to Squall.

"Okay, explain to me why you took my father to play golf!" she demanded. Squall continued cutting vegetables.

"He called this morning and asked if I had suggestions on what he could do. I said that my father's friend was free that morning and could ask for lessons. Your father seemed hesitant to try golf again, but he seemed bored and agreed. I picked him up, took him to the club and asked Kiros for some lessons. Now he's hooked," Squall reported. "Please pass me that bowl."

Rinoa grabbed a small bowl he had pointed to and handed it to him. "You gave him your phone number."

"I told him if he was going around town and got lost and couldn't reach you, to go ahead and call me," Squalls said as he used his knife to place the vegetables into the bowl. He wiped his hands on a dishtowel before heading towards the stove. "I didn't actually think he'd call."

"That's a bit much to go that far. I don't think real boyfriends do that," Rinoa pointed out as she crossed her arms and frowned.

Squall put a pot on the stove and gave her a knowing look. "Then you'd prefer a boyfriend who ignored your father?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I didn't say that."

"Then what is the problem?" Squall said.

"Well, for one thing," Rinoa said as she stepped forward and tapped his chest with her finger. "You're wearing my apron!" _Oh my Hyne…that is a nice firm chest._

"Your father is just one hell of a general if he could get me into the kitchen to cook a meal," Squall told her. "Shouldn't you be at least happy that your father likes your boyfriend?"

Rinoa let out a groan. "But you're not my real boyfriend!" she hissed in a low voice.

"Cut those bell peppers," Squall told her. "I need to prepare these noodles."

It surprised her that she found herself cutting peppers a moment later. She flushed as she continued to chop the green and red things. "I really appreciate your helping, Squall, but don't get too attached okay? You don't need to do all these things," she insisted.

"I think I do," a voice said behind her. She froze. The voice was _right_ behind her. Pale hands hovered over her arms as Squall grasped her hand, still clutching the knife, with one hand and readjusted her other hand over the bell pepper with the other. "What is this? These pieces aren't even. How are they going to cook evenly? Cut them like this."

He began to move behind her and Rinoa bit her lips, her eyes fixed on the peppers as his hands moved hers rhythmically over the chopping board. She could feel his arms against her, his muscles moving against her upper arms as his chest pressed against her back.

"You got it?" he asked against her ear. Rinoa shuddered.

"Uh-huh!" she whimpered.

"Good, keep the pieces even – Angelo, no. This is people food," Squall was saying as he stepped away and released her hands. She heard her dog whine and inwardly, Rinoa mirrored the sound. She suddenly missed the feeling of him behind her. She could still smell the scent of his soap and suddenly felt tingly all over. "Okay, okay," Squall relented. "I did get you something, too." He circled the counter and dug through a canvas shopping bag and plucked out a doggy treat. He tossed it into the air and Angelo happily jumped and caught it. "Like it?" Angelo barked before taking her treat and returning to the living room.

"Damn it, Squall…," Rinoa grumbled under her breath as she focused on chopping peppers. "Stop being so easy to fall for."

"Did you say something?" Squall asked as he washed his hands.

"Just remember that you don't have to babysit my father or anything," Rinoa said firmly. "He's not really your girlfriend's father. This is just business."

"Just business," Squall repeated quietly behind her. "If that's what you want."

* * *

One more night, Rinoa reminded herself. One more night, one more dinner, and then the next morning, she would see her father off and it could end. She turned off the ignition of her car and leaned forward, over the steering wheel. Squall would be there again tonight. They would be going to a Centran restaurant Squall said he and his sister frequented.

One more night until her father left meant that there was one more night with Squall and then he would be out of her life. Her chest began to ache again and something in the pitch of her stomach felt empty at the thought.

Since he had appeared, almost literally on her doorstep, for this sham, he had been nothing, if not perfect and it wasn't fair. She had found him attractive, yes, but had always seen herself with a taller man who was loud, like her, and shared her sense of humor. She saw herself with someone much more affectionate and talkative, who had a job in an office, like her. Perhaps someone who had also moved from Galbadia to Esthar. Someone fun loving and adventurous, but definitely not someone like Squall.

He was just a few inches taller than she was. His sense of humor was sarcastic if anything and he smirked and chuckled instead of laughed loudly. He was a mercenary, he was serious, and he never once gave her a kiss on the cheek and they only held hand three or four times since they met. Granted, they were all for show, but she wished he was more affectionate.

After the night he cooked dinner for them, her father had talked about him non-stop. She had even been praised about how her taste in boyfriends had obviously improved since she moved, but it didn't hit her until she had breakfast with her father that morning.

"I want you to know that I approve of him." Rinoa stopped eating her cereal. General Fury Caraway, the retired general of the entire Galabadian Army had just approved of Squall. For most others, this would've been a spectacular turn of events, except for Rinoa it wasn't. "If this is the man you want to spend the rest of your life with, I'll give him my permission."

Her father had grown attached to Squall and she honestly couldn't blame him. Squall was respectful, he was straightforward with her father, he was polite, he was a gentleman to her, and…and she grown attached to him as well. What was worse was that even when he wasn't in front of her father, he was the same way and she was still falling for him.

She began to resent his attitude and his actions. She would become frustrated with herself. He was nothing she thought her idea man would be, but suddenly was and it was driving her crazy as the longer she was with him, the more she wished the farce was real. However, it wasn't and it had to end. Her father would eventually hear that they 'broke-up', because they would, and she began to worry how he would take it. He'd be angry. Disappointed. _She'd_ be disappointed.

"And this was a mistake," she mumbled to herself dejectedly. She took her key and bag and lumbered out of her car. She got into the elevator and readied herself for another night. She leaned back against the door and rubbed her forehead with her hand. Just one more night, then her father would leave and then she'd wait a bit before telling him they broke up and she would use the excuse that she wasn't ready for another man to keep her father at bay.

The elevator doors opened on the ground floor. "Rinoa," a surprise voice greeted. Her eyes widened as she lifted her head, recognizing the voice immediately.

"Squall?" And he had flowers. She stood up straight and looked at the flowers with an almost frightened expression. "What are those?"

"Oh," the brunette looked at the modest bunch of multicolored flowers in his hand before lifting them up to her. "For you. I…uh…haven't bought you flowers yet." _Smooth, Squall…._

"You didn't need to," Rinoa frowned quietly, noting making any move to take them. The elevator dinged once more and the door began to close. "Wait!" She jumped forward and held the door open. She looked at Squall and raised a brow. "Aren't you going to get in?"

"Huh, oh yeah," he nodded. He stepped in with her and attempted to hand her the flowers once more. "I'm sorry if they're not what you like. The dossier wasn't specific, but you seemed the wildflowers type."

She never thought about it, but she was now very inclined to agree with his assessment. "I love them," she assured him as her hand tightened around the bundled stems. "I just usually don't get flowers."

"I'm surprised," Squall said as the door closed. "I imagined otherwise." She looked away.

"Listen, Squall, I really appreciate the flowers and you humoring my dad these last few days. It's really gone above and beyond what I asked for when I went to Quistis," Rinoa admitted. "But…." _I'm starting to take it too serious and it's going to break my heart when it's over, so please stop being so kind._

"But?" Squall asked as he looked over at her. She turned and met his eyes and froze. He was smiling. Not a huge grin, like she usually had, but a soft, sweet smile lingering over his lips as two clear eyes looked at her intently.

She couldn't breathe. "You…."

Squall cocked his head slightly. "Me?"

"You make this so easy…." Rinoa frowned as her eyes crinkled up.

Squall looked concerned. "What's wrong?" he asked as he moved closer. She could feel her heart quickening as her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. "Rinoa?" His hand rose and swept back a few stray bangs from her face and nearly jerked his hand back. She was sure he felt the little shocks, too.

"It's not fair," Rinoa whispered as her own hand rose and touched the side of his face. "It's really…."

She never finished her sentence. Her mouth gently grazed his as her eyes fluttered closed. Before she could pull herself back and even realize what she was doing, his lips had covered hers in a silent answer. Her arms snaked their over his shoulders and around his neck, bringing him closer as his hands rested on her hips and slowly moved along her body until his arms encircled her waist.

She could feel him against her as he pressed his body down, pinning her against the back of the elevator as his tongue slipped between her lips and gently pried them open. Her eyes rolled back as a moan escaped her lips. Her fingers curled into the fluffy collar of his jacket before she pushed forward, tilting her head to the side to get at him.

They didn't feel the elevator stop over the feeling of the other's body. They didn't hear the ding over the sound of short, gasping breathes. They didn't notice the door open, not even when a droll, annoyed voice cut through the small compartment.

"Ew."

"Seifer!" Quistis hissed. She adjusted her glasses as she watched one of Rinoa's legs hook around the male mercenary's hips. She groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Rinoa! Squall!" she barked.

Brown eyes shot open and instantly caught sight of the two blondes waiting outside the elevator doors, over Squall's shoulders. Rinoa let out a yelp right into Squall's mouth as she quickly unhooked her leg and nearly shoved him away. Squall stumbled back and whirled around. His solemn face suddenly flooded with color.

"Making out in an elevator," Seifer scowled. "Now I have to find a way to get it disinfected." Quistis quickly smacked his arm.

"I see you two are getting along well," she smiled, trying to ease the tension. Rinoa wanted the earth to swallow her. Quistis stepped aside. "Do you two mind? We'd like to go down."

"Right!" Rinoa stammered. "Sorry!" She adjusted her bag over her shoulder and quickly picked up the flowers that had fallen to the floor, and rushed out of the elevator. Squall followed after her, apologizing under his breath as he passed the other two.

Quistis and Seifer got into the elevator and as Quistis pressed the button for the parking garage. Seifer grinned.

"Hey, Commander," he called mockingly. Squall looked over his shoulder. Seifer motioned to his lips. "You got a little lipstick right here."

Squall's hand flew up to his face before he could stop himself. The door closed, but he could still hear the other man's fading laughter. He wiped at his lips, only to find some light pink gloss before following after Rinoa. He found her a few paces from her door, waiting for him.

A frantic look was on her face. "Okay, before we go in there, I just want to apologize," Rinoa told him. His brows furrowed and his lips tightened into a line. "That was very unprofessional, so please, let's just pretend that never happened!"

She was almost begging him to forget. A small part of him was hurt, but he nodded dutifully. "If that's what you want."

She threw him a thankful smile. "Thanks, Squall!" She turned around and her smile instantly left her face. She wished he would've said something else.

They picked up her father for dinner and Squall drove them to the restaurant. Rinoa spent the entire night with a smile pasted on her face. Her father carried the conversation and Squall interjected appropriately, once more. She both envied and was growing angry at how casual he seemed to take everything.

Could he really pretend that nothing had happened? They had made out in an elevator. It wasn't just a kiss on the cheek, it was something much more. She could feel it! So why was she the only one who was having a hard time pretending it didn't happen?

"Rinoa," her father said as they reached her flat. He was heading into the kitchen to prepare coffee for them before Squall left for the night. Their guest had excused himself to use the toilet and the general took advantage of that. "You've been rather quite tonight. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing!" Rinoa forced a smile once more. "Everything is fine." Her father lowered the mugs he had been taking from the cabinet.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at his daughter critically. "What's wrong, Rinoa?"

"Nothing!" she insisted with a frown. "I'm just tired. I've had a long week!"

"Oh, I'm sorry to have been a burden," her father snorted. It was meant to be a joke, but she didn't need to hear it.

"It's not you, it's just been everything. I'm just tired, okay?" she snapped. Caraway frowned once more.

"Don't raise your voice at me, young lady. I was making a joke."

"It wasn't funny," she grumbled.

"What is wrong with you?" Caraway asked as he slammed his hands on the counter. "We have a guest! Honestly, Rinoa. Can't you hold yourself to same decorum as Squall?"

She closed her eyes and whirled around to look at him. "I don't even know if that's how Squall really is!" she yelled. That was a lie. She knew that was how Squall really was. The man who cooked them dinner, who gave her flowers, who kissed her in the elevator – that was the same Squall. She didn't hear the toilet flush or the door open in the hall. "I know you like him, Dad, but he's not perfect! I don't even know if he really is this respectful, nice, perfect boyfriend-person!"

"What do you mean, you don't even know him?" Caraway frowned as he locked eyes with his daughter

"I mean that I just met him last week!" Rinoa exclaimed, frustrated.

"Rinoa!" She whirled around and sucked in a sharp breath. Squall stood in front of the hall, looking at her, surprised. "What's going on?" He looked concerned. How could he look concerned? Why was he concerned!? For her? Why? "Are you okay?"

"Squall, I think she's upset about something," General Caraway stated, unsure how else to put it. "She says she doesn't know you."

Squall wasn't sure how to react, but he let his instincts drive him. "She probably means not as well as she'd like," Squall offered as he moved into the living room. "We've been going out for a while, but I've been on so many missions, it's hard to spend time-"

"Stop it," Rinoa groaned as she shook her head. "You don't have to do this for me."

"I'm not doing anything," Squall assured her. "I'm just answering your father."

She shook her head as she looked at him. "Are you really this perfect?" she asked. "You'll still cover for me with it's already out in the open?"

He looked at her, confused. "I don't understand."

"Rinoa, if this is something you need to discuss with your boyfriend-" her father began, only to be cut off.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Rinoa finally cried out. Her father stood across the room, his head pulled back and his eyes wide as Squall sighed heavily from where he stood, by the door. Between them, Rinoa's eyes widened as she realized what she had just blurted.

"What?" General Caraway asked, sounding more confused than anything. "Did you two break up?"

"No! I mean…we couldn't be cause…we weren't...," Rinoa stammered. She ran her hand through her hair, frustrated.

"You weren't what?" Caraway frowned. His eyes narrowed. "I knew something was wrong."

"Dad, I'm sorry, but this is a lie," she began. "Squall isn't my boyfriend." There. It was out in the open She prepared herself for her father's angry reaction, but it never came.

"No," Caraway shook his head and lowered his eyes. "It was obvious from the start," he acknowledged. I'm not blind. I saw the signs. You two hardly spoke. It was clearly uncomfortable between you two."

His daughter stared at him. "No, Dad, you don't understand-"

"Rinoa," he frowned as he looked at her. "It was not necessarily to put on such a farce if your relationship was already being strained."

Rinoa opened her mouth, but no words came out. Squall glanced over before turning to the general. "Sir, this is my fault," Squall stated.

She turned to look at him and shook her head. "Squall, no," she told him firmly. "We've said enough. Let's just end this here." She looked back at her father. "Dad, Squall and I never broke up. We weren't even together. Ever."

The retired man looked at her unsurely. "What are you saying?"

Rinoa took a deep breath. "Squall is Quistis' friend from military school. She and Seifer got him to pretend to be my boyfriend because I asked them to help me get one while you were here."

He was a smart man and it didn't take him long to understand. They could see General Caraway putting the pieces together in his head. Slowly, he stood up straight and narrowed his eyes. A tense silence was in the air as no one spoke. Caraway looked angry, yet disappointed at the same time. "You got another person involved so I wouldn't try to set you up with another man?"

"Yes," Rinoa admitted. She took a step forward and looked at him beseechingly. "And I'm sorry. I know you mean well and I know you want grandchildren, but I'm not ready to and I don't want you to keep forcing this on me."

"I see," the General answered stiffly. He lifted his head proudly and gave her a small nod. He began to walk out the door.

"Dad-"

"I'm just going for a walk," he snapped back coldly. Rinoa was worried. Squall stepped aside as her father walked past him and reached for his jacket on the coat hook behind the door.

"Dad, wait," Rinoa said as she began to go after him.

"I'll be back later and I have my phone on me," Caraway snapped. The door slammed behind him. Rinoa closed her eyes and ran her hand down her face. Squall stood uncomfortably by the door, unsure if he should leave or talk to her.

Rinoa leaned back against the couch and tried to take calming breaths. Squall took a step forward. "Rinoa, I'm sorry-"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Rinoa assured him firmly. She lifted her head, putting on a serious look as she rose to her feet. "I was the one who dragged you into this. I should be apologizing for putting you in such an awkward situation. This is all my fault. I'm the one who…. Forget it. I'm sorry about all this."

"It's alright."

"No, it's not," Rinoa said. She released a heavy breath. "But at least it's over with." She asserted. She lifted her chin and met his eyes as bravely as she could. "I'll send you the check I owe you for the meals and taking my dad out."

He shook his head and took another step forward. "Rinoa, I don't want-"

"Right now," she steeled herself. "I think it's best that you go." It hurt to say it.

He froze in mid-step. "You want me to leave."

Rinoa nodded, her eyes avoiding his. "Dad knows, so it's not really necessarily for you to stay," she told him as she wrapped her arms around herself. "And I think it might be best for you to leave before he gets back. It would probably be best if you don't come back again."

Squall grit his teeth as a prick of pain shot through him. "Fine. If that's what you want." He turned around and headed towards the door. Quiet whining could be heard and Squall gave Angelo a quick scratch behind the ear. "Good-bye." She wasn't sure if he was talking to the dog or to her.

The door closed behind Squall and Rinoa bit her lips and shut her eyes tightly. "Bye, Squall."

The couple rounded the corner and immediately saw Rinoa sitting in the hall silently, with her dog. Quistis looked at her fiancée, who furrowed his brows at the sight.

* * *

"I take it something didn't go well," he mumbled in a low voice.

Quistis gently stroked his arm. "Why don't you go into the apartment first? I'll see what's wrong," she whispered. Not wanting to get too involved, Seifer nodded and gave Rinoa a small grunt to greet her before unlocking his door and disappearing within.

The blonde woman remained out in the hall and looked down at Rinoa and Angelo worriedly. "Something wrong?" Quistis asked as she sat down beside the girl sitting across from her and Seifer's door with a dog sprawled across her lap, being petted to relieve stress.

"Dad just left," Rinoa stated quietly. "I saw him off at the airport this morning."

"Ah," the older blonde nodded. "Aren't you supposed to be relieved?"

"I thought I'd be," she admitted. "He was very quiet when he left." Quistis raised an eyebrow. Rinoa's eyes crinkled up as she tried to hold back a cry. "I told him the truth."

"Did he tell you anything back?" Quistis asked.

Rinoa shook her head and her eyes watered. "No. Aside from thanking me for letting him stay and good-bye, that was it. It's just like after Mom died all over again," her voice began to shake. "We hardly talked after she died. It was always so strained since Dad was never home and we never had anything in common. You know it took us three years to start talking to each other normally and we finally sorted things out and started talking to each other more often, then this happens."

"I'm sure he's just unsure what to say. He's upset, Rinoa, but I doubt he hates you or anything. Just give him some time," Quistis urged her as she put her arm around the girl.

Brown eyes lowered and she stopped petting Angelo. "He said he really liked Squall."

"I'm sure he'll get over it. It's not too big of a problem," Quistis told her.

Rinoa shook her head and whimpered. "It is…."

"Why?"

"I really like Squall, too," the brunette choked out as she hunched over Angelo and hugged the dog. Angelo whimpered and Quistis gently rubbed Rinoa's back.

"I don't see why that's such a bad thing. It isn't as if you two had an argument."

"I told him to leave!" Rinoa cried into her dog. "I told him not to come back! Why does he have to be so perfect? He was sweet and nice and…and…"

Quistis raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about the same Squall?"

Rinoa lifted her head and nodded. "He bought me bubble tea and took me on walks. He entertained my Dad without being asked to. He cooked us dinner. His hands are so big and warm and Angelo liked him! And when he kissed me," she continued with reddened eyes. Angelo lifted her head and let out a small whimper before standing up. Rinoa didn't bother stopping her dog as she wiped at her eyes. "It felt like he really meant it and I got tingly all over!"

Quistis was no longer looking at her. Her blue eyes were wide and looking up, focused down the hall. Rinoa furrowed her brows and followed her gaze.

Angelo was already wagging her tail in front of a blue-eyed brunette, giving her a distracted scratch behind the ears.

"Good afternoon, Squall," Quistis began as she slowly removed her arm from Rinoa's shoulder and stood up. She glanced at the younger woman before back at her military schoolmate. "I'll leave you two to talk."

As subtly as she could, Quistis stepped back against Seifer's flat door and quickly stepped in before Rinoa could stop her. The sound of the door closing was almost deafening.

Rinoa couldn't take her eyes off of Squall. Her face had paled as she shakily rose to her feet, her mind trying to calculate how quickly she could get into her apartment and hide. The man across from her had stopped several paces away.

"Uh…," Squall mentally groaned. "Are you alright?" His sister would've buried her face in her hands with shame at his pathetic attempt at conversation.

"I'm fine," Rinoa swallowed the lump in her throat and pasted herself against the wall and began to make slow steps towards her door. "How are you?" That was probably the worst reply she could give.

Squall wasn't sure how to answer. Instead, he reached into his pocket and took out an envelope. "I was going to give this to Quistis or Seifer to return to you, but since I caught you…." Rinoa recognized her handwriting on the front and frowned. It was the check she had sent by courier to him to pay for all the money he spent on food and what not while her father was there. When she didn't take it, Squall took a step closer and held it out. "I don't want it."

She looked back at him, her eyes still red. "It's fine. It's fair. I said I'd pay you back for what you spent while dealing with my father and I am."

"Rinoa, I don't want your money," Squall told her with a frown. "Please, take it."

"No," Rinoa shook her head. If she took it back, then it would mean something. Maybe it meant that he enjoyed the time. Maybe it meant that he wanted their relationship to be for real. Maybe it meant nothing at all, but she didn't want to think about the possibilities. She wanted him to keep the money because it meant everything was purely business.

It had nothing to do with emotions. It was all pretend and so she could distance herself and make a clean break before she fell in love with him further and made a fool of herself.

Squall sighed and walked closer. He grasped her hand, feeling it tense up, and placed the envelope in her palm. "I don't want your money," he stressed. Rinoa's eyes were on her hand. He hadn't let go.

She tried to keep from crying like an idiot. "But you have to. So I don't owe you anything…."

"You don't," Squall told her carefully. "I didn't mind taking your dad places or cooking or…being with you," he added quietly. Her eyes widened as her lower lip trembled. He was being unfair again. "I did mean what happened in the elevator." His face reddened. "It wasn't just you who felt it."

"I really like you," Rinoa said suddenly. Her face was burning as she looked up and met his eyes. "You're making this very difficult."

He had to fight to keep the grin off his face as she said that. "You started it," he pointed out. "A funny, pretty girl like you pretending to be my girlfriend…do you know how difficult it has become at home?"

Rinoa looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"When I took your father golfing, one of my father's best friends was there. I couldn't exactly explain the situation in front of your father. Kiros told everyone, my father and my sister especially, that I had a girlfriend and for the last few days, they've been insistent on meeting you," Squall rolled his eyes. "I tried to tell them the truth, but my father's in denial."

She smiled weakly. "So…you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend in front of your parents?"

"No, you idiot," the door to her left opened and Seifer stuck his head out. "He wants you to be his girlfriend and then bring you to home. Hyne! You're so dense!"

"Seifer, get back in here!" Quistis' shrill voice ordered. "I said you could listen in on them, not butt in."

"It was going too slow!" Seifer argued. They saw a well-manicured hand grasp Seifer's ear and pull him back inside. The door closed.

Squall tilted his head back and groaned. "I'm going to kill him the next time we spar."

Rinoa let out a laugh and shook her head. She looked at Squall curiously. "Did he mean that?"

Squall sighed and took a step back, releasing her hand. "Yes," he admitted. He lowered his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I know that you said to keep it strictly business, but-"

He was suddenly shoved against the wall, his lips completely sealed over by hers. His eyes were wide with surprise as her arms snaked up his chest and around his neck, wrapping themselves firmly around him as her body pressed against his.

Just as he was about to run out of air, Rinoa pulled herself away from him. "Okay," she agreed. "I'd be happy to go meet your dad…and your sister."

He stared at her and blinked. "Really?" Rinoa nodded.

"But first, some ground rules," she smiled. "Holding hands is perfectly fine. So is kissing and giving me hugs."

"Only in front of my father?" Squall asked.

Rinoa beamed as she felt his arms wrap around her waist. Her eyes moved down his face, settling on his lips before quickly licking her own. "How about in front of anyone?"

Squall lowered his head, smiling softly. "Sure." His lips caressed her gently. "If that's what you want."

* * *

**Squall's Office, Late Afternoon**

Seifer's laugh filled his office as Squall looked up from the reports he was typing up. The green-eyed blond across from him nearly fell off is seat as he slammed the magazine on to the desk. "I can't believe she printed it! She really is your sister if she's willing to publish this crap!"

Blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "Is there something _wrong_ with my story?"

"Aside from how clichéd it is?" Seifer asked as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "I mean, single woman in the city finds love with unlikely man her friends suggest and her dog likes? I'm surprised you didn't put her in a wedding where she angsts about being a bridesmaid and then have them get married at the end. I do like the supporting male, though. Her neighbor. Real funny guy; I didn't expect such a well-written character from you."

Squall let out a small growl, but returned to his work. "Whatever." Ellone had told him that the story had moved Laguna to tears. "Are you going to submit your reports for the finals last month?"

"Yeah, yeah, here they are, _Captain_ ," Seifer tucked the magazine under his arm before reaching into his bag and taking out a stack of reports. "Sorted chronologically and marked for your convenience."

"It's good to see that some of Quistis's organized habits are rubbing on you," Squall acknowledged. Seifer snorted.

"Hey, I carry my own weight at this Garden, alright," Seifer said. "I've been back for five years, you can at least acknowledge that I do."

Squall leaned back against his chair and flipped through the stack of papers Seifer handed him. "You're a commander now; it's been acknowledged," he reminded him. Of course, it had been a promotion Squall approved begrudgingly.

"Well, what about this?" Seifer pointed out as he lifted the magazine once more. "I'm taking precious time out of my schedule to write for the Garden's sake!"

"So am I," Squall reminded him calmly. He paused over a report. "Tell Selphie that her drawings depicting training maneuvers are not necessary in her reports."

"And this is quality writing!" Seifer counted as he seemed to pace the office, completely ignoring what Squall was telling him. "Did you read the reviews for last week's article?"

Squall stopped paying attention. "Tell Raijin to also stop drawing training maneuvers in his reports."

" _It moved me_ , says some guy named Auron. _Lost love reunited never gets old_ , says Cloud S. _It tugged at my heartstrings in a way that few things have_ , says…." He squinted. "Oh, it's from Cid. Never mind." He looked back at the stoic officer who had returned to typing on his computer. "The point is that if these articles boost the popularity of Ellone's magazine, we get a bigger cut. And it's all thanks to _me_."

"Have you read the online reviews yet?" Squall asked suddenly. Seifer furrowed his brows and frowned.

"Online reviews?"

Squall turned the screen of his monitor towards Seifer. "Right there," he said. Seifer moved closer and bent down over the monitor to read the words across the screen.

"That can't be right," Seifer stated. "You have more reviews than I do."

A small, shallow part of Squall celebrated that fact. "Really?" he asked, feigning mild surprise. He knew.

"But your story just came out this week, so that can't be right," Seifer insisted. "Give me your mouse."

"Seifer-"

"Give it!" The blond reached across the desk and grabbed the little wireless device and moved the cursor across the screen to check out the reviews for his rival author. He snorted. "The first one doesn't even count! It's clearly from your father!"

"What?" Squall sat up straight in his chair.

"And this one is from Rinoa," Seifer continued. "Selphie, Zell, Irvine…okay, they don't count if we know them, even if they don't know we're the ones writing this."

"Didn't they also review yours?" Squall reminded him. The other man turned red-faced.

"That doesn't matter! The number of reviews don't mean your story is better!" he asserted.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Sis asked us to write romance stories, so I wrote one."

"And you're saying it's better than mine," Seifer accused. Squall stared at him dully.

"I never said that-"

"But you're _thinking_ it!" the other man insisted as he pointed at Squall. "Don't let the reviews get to your head, Captain! If people want romance, I'll write them the most romantic crap of all." Squall was almost afraid to ask what.

"Okay."

"Just you wait," Seifer grumbled as he headed towards the door.

"Seifer!" Squall called out, stopping him before he could leave.

"What?"

The blue-eyed commanding officer tossed another folder on to the edge of his desk. "Your assignments for next week. You also need to cover Nida's morning class next Tuesday. He has a dentist appointment."

Dramatically, Seifer marched back towards the desk, snatched the folder, and then stormed out. Squall shook his head and returned to his reports. A few moments later, the door opened and Rinoa walked in, looking slightly confused.

"Any idea why the great Commander Almasy is storming down the hall, mumbling about princes and knights?" Rinoa asked she came in.

Squall shrugged his shoulders as he saved his document. "I have no idea."

Rinoa sighed. "Okay, fine, you and Seifer and keep your little secret," she rolled her eyes. She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He leaned back and felt her kiss the top of his head. "But it's getting late. Why don't we grab dinner and then go to bed, hmm?"

He smiled slightly. "Sure, Rin," he agreed. "If that's what you want."


	3. Seifer Misunderstands "Fairy"-Tale

A pale hand clutched his tightly as sad blue eyes looked down at the man lying on the bed. His skin was taunt, paler than usual, and the usual smirk across his lips was disturbingly absent. Regardless of how the knight standing across the room felt about the ailing monarch, no one wanted to see him die – especially when it would break their beloved queen's heart.

"The royal doctors could do nothing?" the brunette standing dutifully by the door asked solemnly.

"Nothing they brought has been able to cure or even alleviate his symptoms," the woman sitting on the edge of the bed replied quietly. "I have almost lost hope."

"Don't say that, Your Highness!" the knight insisted. "You have already summoned the Oracle. Surely she can help."

A knock on the heavy wooden door sounded and the queen moved her eyes over to it. "You may enter," she called out. It creaked open and a young, petite woman with short brown hair bowed.

"My Queen," the green-eyed messenger began. "The Oracle has come at your request." She stepped aside and a slender woman draped in sky blue and white robes entered. She gave the golden-haired queen a bow of her head.

"Queen Quistis," she greeted.

"I am humbled by your visit, Oracle. Thank you for coming," Quistis told her respectfully.

"Your request was hard to ignore, young Queen…though your offer was most agreeable. I was happy to come and will take you up on your deal. Tell me," the brown-haired woman asked thoughtfully. "Do you still agree?"

Quistis bowed her head once more. "Yes. I agree a thousand times over if I have to. As you already know, my dear husband's health is failing." As if to exaggerate her point, the man on the bed let out some coughs and moved uncomfortably on the bed.

"I am aware of the situation, Queen Quistis," the young-looking Oracle replied. "I am afraid that there is nothing from human hands that can save your husband."

A sharp gasp escaped Quistis' lips as her hand tightened on her husband's. "Quistis…too tight," the king grumbled from the bed.

"Sorry," she mumbled. She looked back at the Oracle beseechingly. "But surely there must be something! Is there really no way to save him? I know he's not the smartest, best-looking, compassionate-"

"I'm dying and I'm lying _right here_ …," a voice grumbled beside her. She promptly ignored him.

"I'm just not ready to part with him yet," Quistis insisted. "Please, Oracle! There must be something."

The woman lifted her head slightly and tilted her head to the side. "There is one option," she pointed out reluctantly. "But it is an almost unheard of task."

"I will gladly perform it," the knight assured her from the side. "Anything for my queen."

"Thank you, I'm glad you're thinking of me…," the king mumbled once more.

"It is no easy task, good knight," the Oracle told the brunette. "It requires a trek to reach the borders of Esthar."

"Esthar?" Quistis lifted her head up, her blue eyes wide. "But it is forbidden for humans to enter!"

"The creatures there will eat the knights alive," her husband wheezed. He smirked slightly. "Your devotion to your king has pleased him."

"Shut up, Seifer," the knight snapped. "I'm doing this for Quistis."

"I'm dying and you're yelling at me? Did you hear that, Quistis? Such disrespect!" Before he could continue on his rant, he began coughing. Quistis rolled her eyes, but lovingly rubbed his chest.

"At any rate, what are the knights to do upon reaching the forbidden territory?" Quistis inquired hesitantly.

"They must capture a fairy," the Oracle told them seriously.

The knight's eyes narrowed. "What."

"You must capture a fairy," the Oracle repeated. "What we are seeking are their wings, but you must be careful. Fairies do not last long in captivity and the cure to the king's illness can only be gathered from the wings of a living fairy."

"Let me get this straight," the knight began disbelievingly. "You want me to take my troop to the very border of a forbidden territory to try to capture an imaginary creature that then needs to be brought back – alive?" A snort left the knight. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, the Oracle's words are true. She has no reason to lie," Quistis confirmed. The knight looked at her as if she had said something unbelievable. "We must trust in her and search for a fairy."

"But they don't even exist-"

"They exist!" Seifer growled before shooting the knight a glare.

"Please," Quistis pleaded. "You are not only my knight, but my friend. I am begging you, please find and bring back a fairy for my husband." The knight looked uncertain. Still, she practically owed Quistis her life.

Rinoa took a deep breath and nodded. She bowed respectfully. "Selphie!" she called out to the door. "Gather Sir Kinneas and Sir Dincht!" She stood up straight and whirled around, heading towards the door. "We've got a fairy to find!"

"Oh! An adventure!" the messenger piped excitedly. "I can't wait!"

"It's a mission, Selphie. And an urgent one, so let's get packing!" Rinoa asserted as they walked down a hall.

"Ooh! You know, I should get the guys to bring their instruments and so we can have music on our epic journey!" Selphie asserted. "Should I bring the lute or my pan flute?"

Seifer crinkled his eyes as he looked out the door. He squeezed Quistis's hand back quickly and looked at her. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

* * *

"No, it will totally work!" Selphie insisted. "Music is said to draw in beast and spirit alike!" Across from her, sitting on the other side of their camp fire, Zell bit into a sausage he had finished roasting over the open fire and shook his head.

"Yeah," he managed to drawl out as he chewed. "But I think they mean good music."

Selphie wrinkled her nose, insulted. "What are you saying about my pan flute!?" she exclaimed. "I've been practicing and everyone at the Trabia Tavern says my music is great!"

Rinoa silently bit into her own sausage and casually avoided Selphie's eyes. It wasn't that Selphie had improved greatly; it was just that everyone liked Selphie in general and didn't have the heart to tell her that when she played the pan flute, it almost hurt to listen to.

"I'm sure you have, Selphie," Irvine tried to appease her. "But it's getting late and we've been traveling the whole day," he said with an almost pleading look on his face. "Why don't you just put it away and we can just relax with the sounds of the forest."

"See, even Irvine thinks it's bad," Zell beamed. Irvine shot him a glare as Selphie looked disappointedly at her instrument.

"Selphie, you haven't even touched your dinner," Rinoa piped in hopes of distracting her. "Finish up and then get ready to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."

"Rinoa's right," Irvine agreed as he reached back and pulled out a worn looking map. "Tomorrow, we'll be entering the forbidden zone. No one has gone into Esthar and ever returned…," he told them in a low, whispered voice.

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "If that's true, then how did someone make that map that we're using?"

"No one has gone to Esthar and ever returned since this map was made and published…." Irvine turned the map over to look for a date. " _Twenty_ years ago!"

Rinoa sighed and lifted her head to rub the bridge of her nose. Admittedly, when they were leaving the castle, no one really thought much about their quest. All they knew was that they had to find and capture a fairy – alive, of course – for the sake of their beloved Queen…and indirectly their King, whom she loved too…she supposed. However, as they trekked through the kingdom, crossed another, and found themselves on the very edge of the forbidden zone, they came to the harsh realization that there was a very slim chance they would succeed.

Selphie and Irvine had collected and poured through every map and source material they could find, but even then, there were very few things written about Esthar. It was a mysterious, legendary kingdom.

"Twenty years ago wasn't that long ago," Rinoa pointed out. "Besides, we can't even be sure that they actually made it into Esthar. The records we found were just descriptions of forests and rivers that we already knew cut through it. There wasn't anything on people."

"Let alone fairies," Selphie admitted disappointedly. She looked at Rinoa. "Do you think we'll actually find one?"

She wasn't sure. "Yes," she said as confidently as she could. "We have to. For Quistis' sake."

Selphie smiled and Zell nodded, but she could tell that the group still had their doubts. However, she was their leader; the captain of Queen Quistis' personal knights. Part of her job was to keep their morale up.

"So why don't we turn in for the night," Rinoa suggested. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and I want us as alert as possible."

A series of agreements came from the team and within a few minutes, Zell's snores could be heard filling the small encampment while Selphie had buried her face in the pillow atop her sleeping mat. Rinoa lay on her side, her eyes closed, but unable to sleep as thoughts of failure and disappointing her friends filled her mind.

There were too many questions: what if they couldn't find a fairy? What if they didn't exist and the Oracle was wrong? What if they did, but were too late and returned to Centra to a dead king and a widowed, grieving queen? How would such a failure affect Selphie, Irvine, and Zell, whose livelihoods depended on their positions? She owed all of them so much after they took her, a war refugee from Galbadia, in.

Her blankets shifted and she sat up on her sleeping mat.

"Rinoa?" Irvine looked up from where he was seated, leaning against a few packs beside Selphie's sleeping form, and gave their leader an inquisitive look. "Toilet break?"

"Nah, not this time." She shook her head as she knelt beside her sleeping mat and carefully folded part of it before standing. "I'm going to go for a little walk."

The other knight raised a brow. "At night?"

"I can't sleep," Rinoa shrugged. "I won't be long."

The young man seemed hesitant, but Rinoa was his commanding officer…somehow. Therefore, he couldn't stop her. Irvine scooted closer to the fire. "Need a torch?" he asked instead as he began to rummage around for something for her to carry. "Where is that spare lantern?"

"No need, it's a full moon. I can find my way," Rinoa assured him with a smile. "If I'm not back in an hour or two, send out the search party."

"If you're sure, Captain," he said as he grasped the edge of his hat and gave her a small, affirmative nod. "Be careful and try to stay close to the camp. These are dangerous woods."

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "We're not in the heart of Esthar, yet." Just in case, she still strapped her crossbow to her back and began to march into the woods. As the light of the fire faded behind her, along with the sound of Zell's snoring, she slowed her pace and allowed her eyes to adjust to the moonlight filtering through the trees.

When she was a child in Galbadia, her mother used to tell her stories about the fantastical kingdom of Esthar. It was a beautiful, peaceful land inhabited by beautiful, peaceful creatures. There were fairies and unicorns and nymphs. Rinoa used to fall asleep with visions of such dancing through her head. When she asked her mother if she could go to Esthar, Julia had shaken her head.

There were many humans who were jealous of Esthar's beautiful and began to attack the kingdom. A war broke out and many of Esthar's citizens were stolen away as prizes and many more suffered. If it had continued, Esthar would've been ruined, so elegant fairy queen forbid humans from entering again. She closed Esthar from the humans, using wards to steer people away to keep her own people safe.

Rinoa's face had fallen. "So I'll never get to see Esthar?" There went here dreams of riding on a unicorn through a field of wildflowers….

Julia had smiled at her. "It is said that Queen Raine put up wards to keep out those of dark hearts, but to those who are worthy; who have good hearts, can still enter Esthar." It was later followed with a moral about her being a good girl and as she had grown, Rinoa hadn't thought much about her late mother's stories.

After all, a civil war had broken out in her home country and her family had been tossed in the middle of it. The side her family was on lost. Her parents were killed; her mother during a raid and her father, a Galbadian Royal General, in a battle. Survival became her primary goal. She was forced to flee and unknowingly crossed the border, where she met a nobleman's daughter on a picnic with her friends.

Quistis had saved her and Rinoa had vowed to serve her. When she married Centra's prince, someone their circle of friends generally thought was unworthy of elegant and intelligent Quistis, Rinoa extended her vow to him. If he were horrible, she wouldn't be on that trek, but he was good to Quistis – practically worshipped the ground she walked on, when she wasn't looking, and despite their often harsh quips at each other, treated them well, too.

Seifer was the one who pulled strings and got her citizenship. He was the one who wrote a recommendation so she could be a knight. He was the one who had her assigned to Quistis so they wouldn't be parted. He wasn't a bad person; he was just an ass sometimes. Therefore, her goal to cure him was a heartfelt gesture.

"That's good enough to enter Esthar, isn't it, Mom?" she asked quietly. Did that make her worthy enough? Rinoa shook her head. She wasn't a child any more, yet part of her still clung to the hope that her selfless goals would be rewarded. Somehow.

She continued walking and heard the familiar babbling of a steam and turned her head in the direction. Subconsciously, she began to walk towards the sound, listening to it as the babbling grew louder. Rinoa narrowed her eyes as she looked down at the forest floor to adjust her footing on the foreign terrain. The ground she walked over seemed to be a decently worn in path and she narrowed her eyes.

They were supposedly on the very borders of Esthar; perhaps other travelers had gotten this far more often than they thought?

She continued to follow the foot path until she emerged from the bushes and stopped herself before she stepped on to the pebble lined shores of an inlet. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the flood of moonlight as she looked around the small pool of water that had been shaped by a small, rocky waterfall.

Brown eyes widened as she looked around the area. For a moment, all thoughts of fairy hunting vanished. The water wasn't too strong in the inlet and looked clean. Rather welcoming, actually. It would be an ideal place for them to collect water in the morning as well as possible bathe before they headed out. Admittedly, she thought some of her companions were getting a little ripe….

Rinoa bent down by the water's edge and extended a free hand down, hoping to gage the temperature of the inlet.

A loud splash sounded in front of her and she snapped her head up. Something shot out from the water, sending small waves back to shores as she felt the splash of cool water against her cheeks. The sudden, unexpected movement triggered her first defensive instincts and before she could stop herself, her cross bow was raised and the trigger pulled.

She felt the recoil of the weapon against her arm as she stumbled back, still in shock. Across from her, she heard additional splashing as more water was kicked up, and a pained – more like irritated – yell filled the small cove. As the water settled and Rinoa lowered her weapon, she could finally make out the pale-skinned man tugging something from over his right shoulder.

His body was still drenched and drops of water fell from his unruly brown hair as he tugged hard at the arrow that firmly pinned him against massive boulder.

Rinoa's mouth nearly dropped. No, it wasn't that it pinned _him_. His limbs were fine. There was no blood, no gaping wound. Her arrow had gone through the top portion of something long, clear, and somewhat sparkly that protruded from his back. She'd seen the same shape and look, though much smaller, on dragonflies before, but not on a full grown man.

"What are you doing here!? And what is this!?" he growled as he finally pulled the arrow from the crack in the stone. He winced as he ripped it out of his wing, sending a small flurry of fine, sparkling powdering around the Rinoa-made hole. He held up the arrow as he turned to her, his eyes narrowed and a fierce look on his face. "Are you trying to kill me!?"

He stalked towards her, holding the arrow firmly in his hand as he kicked up water and came ashore. Rinoa remained standing where she was, unable to take her eyes off of him.

Wings. He had _wings_! She watched them fold back and then go up and down with each step he took. She almost couldn't breathe. Was he one of them? He had to be…but why wasn't he tiny? Shouldn't he have been smaller?

Her eyes went down his body. He was clearly human-sized. In fact, she was sure he was taller than her. Lean muscles, smooth skin, very nice features. Her eyes lingered.

"I'm talking to you," he demanded as he stopped ankle deep in water, just a few paces from the silenced knight. Rinoa didn't answer. He frowned more so. "This isn't human territory. You shouldn't be….." He trailed off as he finally followed her eyes. A low growl escaped his lips as he rolled his eyes. _Humans_. He bent down, catching her unwavering gaze in his eyes as he shot her a glare. "My _eyes_ are up _here_."

His face came into focus and Rinoa jerked her head back. She stumbled back a few steps, her eyes wide as her face reddened. She pointed at him. "You're real!" He could only look at her as if she had lost her mind. "You're _real_!" Rinoa stressed as she took a few steps closer and held her hand out. She hesitated to touch him, suddenly afraid he'd disappear if she did. She lifted her head and met his eyes once more. "You're one of them, aren't you?"

His expression was deadpan as he remained standing naked in ankle deep water. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"A fairy! You're a fairy, right!?" Rinoa piped, hope swelling in her chest. She looked past him, at the wings protruding on his back. "I mean…those are wings! Only fairies have wings like that! At least, that's what my books say," she rambled as she furrowed her brows. "I also thought you'd be smaller, but you're my size!" She missed the corner of his eye twitch. "You're much bigger than we thought." Her eyes lowered. "Yep… _much bigger_."

The corner of his eye twitched. "Here's your arrow." He stood in front of her for a moment longer before tossing her arrow at her feet and turning around. He began wading back into the water and Rinoa shot forward.

"Wait! Where are you going!? You can't leave!" she yelled as she splashed into the water after him. He didn't seem to pay attention, instead moving his wing back up and turning his neck to inspect the hole she had made in his wing. It was fairly small, but flying would only aggravate it and it wouldn't heal properly. He frowned and continued to walk. It looked like he'd have to walk home. "Wait!" she cried out behind him.

Rinoa struggled to keep up with him. He was getting further and further away and if she didn't stop him, there went their chance of curing Seifer. Gathering up all her strength, she dove forward and reached her arms up.

He felt a small body slam against him and suddenly, his head was below the water. His arms flailed to the sides as she grabbed on to him, clinging to his back as they fell into the inlet. Did she just tackle him?

She felt him squirming from beneath her grip. Bubbles were coming up from all around them and even as she opened her eyes, she couldn't make sense of what was going on. She could feel him slipping from her grasp.

It was a simple matter to turn and use his wings to loosen her grip on him. He was separated from her quickly and easily regained his footing on the floor of the familiar inlet. He looked down and noticed the continued splashing in the water. Clearly, she could not get back up. Rolling his eyes, he reached down and grasped her upper arm.

Rinoa was pulled upwards. Her head broke the surface and she took a choked breath, wincing as cold river water dribbled from her mouth. She tried to steady herself, but found that her boots slipped over the smooth pebbles and she tumbled down once more.

"Sorry!" she sputtered as she grabbed his arms and tried to steady herself. "Just…wait! Hold on! I've almost got it!"

He rolled his eyes as she clung on to him, carefully finding her footing until she could stand on her own two feet. "Done?"

"Yes!" she said, relieved.

"Good." He released her and stepped back. Rinoa's eyes went wide.

"Wait!" she shouted. She took a step after him. It was a mistake. Immediately, she was back in the water. Sputtering, she brushed her hair back and frowned. The fairy wasn't stopping. Narrowing her eyes determinedly, she swept her leg up and hooked it around his as he passed. Squall's eyes widened as his leg was suddenly pulled back from under him.

He barely let out a surprised shout as he fell forward and tumbled back into the water. Rinoa scrambled forward, practically throwing herself over his body to keep him from escaping.

"What are you doing?" he yelled. "Get off of me!"

"No!" she shouted. "Irvine! Selphie! Zell!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Beneath her, he paled and turned his head towards the shore, expecting three more humans to suddenly arrive. "I caught one!"

"You haven't caught anyone!" he said. He grit his teeth and easily maneuvered his way on top of her.

"Oh, no you don't!" Rinoa scowled as her arms wrapped around his neck. She lifted her legs and wound them around his hips. Nudity be damned! She was on a mission! Yes…that was what it was. "You're not going any where without me!"

The male fairy narrowed his eyes and for a first time, she could see their clear shade of blue. As she was distracted, he splashed some water on her face. Almost immediately, she released him and fell back into the water.

"Get out of here, human," he snapped as he stood above her and glared. "You don't belong here!"

"I'll leave when I'm ready!" Rinoa grabbed on to his leg and swept hers beneath him once more. "Where do you think you're going!" she beamed triumphantly as he fell back into the inlet with her.

He fought her off, easily rolling her on to her back and pinning her down as he growled on top of her. "To get my clothes!"

"I think you should've gotten them before you tackled our captain there," a low, male voice said behind him. The winged man tensed. He hadn't heard anyone else coming. All he had been paying attention to was the woman beneath him, panting for breath.

"Rinny, are you okay-" A sharp gasp filled the air as Selphie skidded to a stop beside Irvine. The male knight held a cross bow up, aiming it at the naked male figure looming above their soaking wet captain. Selphie's wide green eyes seemed to double in size as she took in the sight. "Whoa."

"Guys!" Rinoa beamed with relief as she saw them. Her arms shot out and wrapped around the fairy's neck, as if to keep him from escaping. "I caught one!" she yelled triumphantly. Above her, the fairy just lowered his head and let out a defeated breath as his wings lowered.

Zell reached the edge of the forest line and jerked his head back. He looked from Irvine, with a weapon pointed, to the winged man on top of Rinoa. Quietly, he looked at the small metal cage he had grabbed from his horse before rushing over.

"I think we'll need a bigger cage."

* * *

She could almost feel his glaring eyes boring into her back and she honestly couldn't blame him for being angry. They had forced him, at crossbow point, on to shore and then Rinoa had tied his wrists together, assuring him that it was only temporary and they weren't going to kill him; they just needed him to leave his home and come willingly with them, alive, across two countries so they could exploit the healing properties of his wings.

Admittedly, it probably wasn't the best offer.

Irvine was about to march him back to camp, when he finally asked about his clothes, to which point, Selphie looked highly disappointed and asked "Aww…he has clothes?" Rinoa felt a twinge of disappointment, as well as Zell gathered them from around the bend.

The rest of the night had been spent with two people on guard duty to make sure that their king's walking cure wouldn't try to escape. That morning, they had put him on Selphie's horse, awkwardly tied him to the saddle, and the proceeded to go return to Centra triumphantly.

Despite the perpetual frown on his face and the fact that even though he didn't seem to get any sleep, the fairy still appeared bright and awake. Perhaps that was one of their powers? He blue eyes seemed to keep its hardened expression and Rinoa couldn't help but wonder if he was planning an escape. He remained sitting suspiciously cooperative on Selphie's horse, wearing a sleeping blanket wrapped around his upper body to keep his wings hidden to avoid catching any attention. His bound wrists were in front of him and he grasped the reins, all while sitting upright. If it weren't for the rope tied around his waist and fastened to the saddle, no one would suspect he was their captive.

"Psst…," Zell whispered as his horse reached the side of hers. "Rinoa," he called. He glanced back warily at the fairy on the horse, being pulled along beside Irvine's horse. Selphie sat behind the male knight, happily asking questions. The fairy caught Zell's eyes and narrowed. "Are you sure that he's a fairy?"

"Of course, I'm sure," Rinoa told him confidently. "He has the wings, doesn't he?"

The blond looked unconvinced. "But what if they're fake?"

"They were moving, Zell, you saw them. Besides, they have that fine powder on them like the Oracle said," Rinoa added in a lower voice. "I'm positive he's a fairy!"

Zell glanced over his shoulder once more and was met with another crippling glare. He shrank back. "Um…why don't I go up ahead and try to secure us some rooms at an inn in town? We should be close right?"

"Right," Rinoa told him. "See if you can get some food for the horses, too."

"Got it!" Zell waved his hand in the air as he galloped off.

"Where's Zell going?" Selphie piped, briefly taking her attention away from their new 'adventure buddy'.

"To the next town to get us some rooms," Rinoa told her.

"Oh, okay." The perky brunette nodded in satisfaction and then turned her attention back to the male on the other horse. "So where, were we? Oh yeah!" she beamed. "Is it true you guys drink from cups made of flowers? Is that nectar inside the cup? Can you get drunk off of it? And since you're a lot bigger than we thought, are those cups, like, from big flowers? How much would you need to get drunk?"

In front of her, Irvine lifted one hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Selphie, darling, I think our… _guest_ …doesn't really feel like talking."

"But when's the next chance we'll get to ask questions from a real, actual fairy?" Selphie pouted. "I've got so many more – oh!" She turned back to him. "I almost forgot. What's your name?"

Rinoa sat up straight in her seat. That was right; they never even asked his name. She looked over her shoulder, looking at him expectantly. Even Irvine looked interested. The fairy continued to look annoyed.

"Okay, well…if you don't tell us a name, can I give you one?" Selphie asked tentatively. Irvine could've sworn the fairy paled.

"Squall," he answered, earning him a bright, excited smile form the petite, green-eyed brunette. "My name is Squall."

"Oh! I'm Selphie! This is my fiancée, Irvine. Zell went up ahead. We're all knights of Central and she," Selphie pointed to Rinoa. "Is our captain! Head of Queen Quistis' Royal Knights! Captain Rinoa Heartilly!"

Ahead of them, their leader had turned back to the path, her mind repeating his name over and over. It was a peculiar name, but it fit. She bit her lips to keep herself from saying it out loud.

As they reached the town, they rode through the main road. The sun was setting and it looked like the small group of villagers were getting ready to head to their respective homes. It didn't take them long to find Zell waiting for them in front of Lockhart Inn & Tavern. He waved them down excitedly and Rinoa let out a heavy sigh. He was already eating what looked like a sausage.

"And he couldn't wait for us…," Irvine sighed. He looked over at Rinoa. "So, Captain, how are we going to split the rooms? We have to keep watch over this one," he motioned his head towards Squall.

"We'll keep him in one room and take turns watching over him," Rinoa told him. "We can't risk him escaping before we reach the castle." The other two nodded in agreement.

They reached Zell and dismounted. Irvine helped Squall off and made sure to keep a tight grip on his shoulder as they entered the tavern. Selphie made a beeline to the bar, waving enthusiastic at a busty woman serving drinks on the other side. Zell gave them the keys and told them which rooms they had been assigned before rushing to claim a table for dinner.

Rinoa choose to keep their captive in the room between two others. Zell would stay in one; no one ever wanted to share a room with him. Selphie and Irvine would stay in the other and after her guarding shift that night, she'd trade with Irvine and catch some sleep.

"You get four hours for your shift, max," Irvine told her as he finished securing Squall to a wooden chair, and then secured that chair to a bed post. Irvine was nothing, if not thorough. "After my shift, Zell will relieve me and that should cover us until morning."

"The loud one isn't going to watch me?" Squall asked, somewhat curious.

"Only if you want your ears to bleed off," Rinoa replied coolly. She tossed her riding gloves and bag on to the dress by the door. "We're going to get something to eat," she informed him as Irvine walked past her. "Want anything? Nectar, is it?"

"Tifa does have a garden," Irvine pointed out. "So if you need nectar-"

"Coffee," the fairy replied drolly. "Just get me coffee."

"Coffee it is," Rinoa agreed. She and Irvine headed out the door. Rinoa lingered at the threshold before closing it. "And don't try to escape," she warned with a serious look on her face. "I'll be back soon!"

The door closed and Irvine glanced over at her from the top of the stairs. "Are you sure you don't want to stay and watch him? I can have someone bring up something for you to eat and that guy's coffee."

Rinoa snorted. "Yeah, no. The last time you guys 'sent food up', I was allergic to it."

"In our defense, we didn't know so many people were allergic to those berries."

Squall closed his eyes and counted to twenty. Then, he began to twist and loosen the bindings that kept him to the chair. As soon as his hands were free, he began working on the knots of the rope that kept his legs tied down. Just as he rose to his feet, he heard the approaching footsteps.

His eyes widened and he rushed towards the window.

The door was pushed open and Rinoa came in, holding a tray with a single cup on it. "I didn't know if you wanted it with sugar or-" A gasp escaped her lips as her sentence was cut off with a crash. The tray fell to her feet as her eyes landed on the winged man with on foot on the windowsill, looking ready to jump. The coffee was abandoned as Rinoa immediately darted forward.

He barely had time to acknowledge she was coming after him before she dove forward. Briefly, he wondered if she just liked tackling people. She grabbed on to his waist and practically clung to him as he pulled him back into the room. "You can't leave!" she shouted. "We need you!"

"I don't see a reason to stay," Squall stated dully. He tried to pry her off, but found her surprisingly strong.

She lifted her head, looking at him beseechingly. "You don't understand! We do need you!"

"How? As a trophy? I'm aware of what humans do to captured fairies," he told her, irritated. "I'm not planning on staying and having my wings mounted."

"We don't want to mount your wings!" Rinoa insisted. "We just need the powder from them!"

"Yeah, collect the powder and what?" he spat out, his eyes narrowed. "Sell it off? Keep me chained in a small room and farm me?"

Rinoa didn't release him or loosen her grip. "Our king is deathly sick and nothing has been able to cure him. We were told by the Oracle that powder from fairy wings would heal him, but we needed to bring a fairy back alive because it has to be fresh or something!"

Squall stared down at her, unsure if he should believe her or not. "You shot my wing and tied me up just so you could help your king?" he frowned.

"Yes!" Rinoa said. "He's dying and we need your help! Please, Squall, I'm begging you!" Rinoa pleaded.

"And what are your plans for me afterwards?" he asked coldly.

"Nothing!" Rinoa insisted.

"That's a lie."

"It's not!"

Squall managed to grab her arms and pry them off of him just enough to release his leg. "I don't know how you were even able to get into Esthar with such wicked endeavors-"

"Please!" Rinoa cried out as she grasped his clothes, holding him back. "Squall, he's my best friend's husband and she'll be devastated if he dies! I only want them to be well and happy and I'll do anything!" she insisted as her hands dug into his clothes. "Please…," she repeated. "I don't want Quistis to lose the man she loves."

Squall found himself still. He lowered one hand from where he had placed it on the window frame and looked down at the woman now at puddle at his feet, a look of sheer desperation on her face. "You're telling the truth," he said quietly.

Rinoa nodded once more. "I am begging you, please," she whispered. "I'll do anything if you'll just come with us and lend us some of your powder."

He looked down at Rinoa with an unreadable expression on his face. He could see the clear desperation in her eyes and felt a heavy breath escape his lungs.

"Do you swear," he began carefully. "That I will be released after I aid you?"

She nodded frantically. "I swear it on my life," she told him seriously. "We never planned to do anything more than bring you to the castle and should they insist otherwise, I will save you. I will escort you back myself."

The corner of his lip almost tugged into a smile at her admonition. No one had ever promised to save him before. He turned his body and reached down. His large hands gently pried her smaller ones from his clothing, but held them as he pulled her up.

"I will go with you as far as your kingdom's castle," he told her slowly. Her eyes widened hopefully. "Upon arrival, I will give you some of the powder from my wings, but," he stressed as his eyes narrowed. "You must swear that you will let me return."

A wide smile filled her face. "I swear!" Rinoa threw her arms into the air and jumped forward, immediately wrapping her arms around his neck as she gave him a strong hug. Squall's eyes widened as he stood stiffly in front of her, his arms awkwardly held out at his sides.

Rinoa giggled as she squeezed him tightly, unable to contain her excitement. Just as she got her senses back and realized she was hugging someone who was essentially a stranger, she felt it.

His movements were slow, hesitant, but she felt it. His arms wrapped around her back. They pressed against her mid back and the curve of her spine, albeit awkwardly at first. For a moment, it seemed he wasn't sure if he was supposed to squeeze her back or not.

Rinoa remained against him, biting her lip and waiting to see what he would do next. He tightened his hold around her and she seemed to relax into his arms. She squeezed him back once more and rested her head against his shoulder. A tingly feeling filled her, yet she couldn't help but feel calm in his arms.

She closed her eyes; content to stand there, by the window, embracing him forever.

"How long do humans embrace for?" a voice finally asked above her. Her eyes flashed open. She could feel the blood rushing to her face as she pulled her lips into her mouth and slowly stepped back from the now, more clear than ever, obviously fit male.

As she stepped back, she quickly smiled, hoping he didn't catch the embarrassment in her eyes as they darted away and avoided his.

"Um…for quite some time, actually…sometimes," she rambled stupidly. She took another step back. "Let me get you some more coffee!"

She swept down as she passed the fallen cup and plucked it off the floor before scurrying towards the door. She stole one last look at the confused looking fairy before blushing to herself and closing the door behind her.

Rinoa leaned back against it and took a deep breath as she lifted a hand and fanned her face. It was going to be a long trip, but she would have no problem in taking it with him.

* * *

"Well…no black banners are hanging," Irvine said as they entered the town's first gate. On a hill above them, the castle stood just as they had left it. "That's a good sign."

"The kingdom would still be in mourning if something did happen," Rinoa asserted as she narrowed her eyes. She glanced towards the setting sun past the castle and tightened her hands on the reins. "Come on! We've come this far; let's not relax just because we go through the gates!"

"If it's a race you want, Captain, a race you shall have!" Selphie shouted dramatically. She leaned forward. "Hold on, Irvy!" she shouted over her shoulder.

The brunette behind her gave her a confused look. "What?" He was jerked forward as their horse took off in a gallop, racing up the cobble stoned street that lead up to the castle.

"Hey!" Zell shouted behind her. He gave his horse a gentle kick. "Wait for me!" He flew past the remaining to horses.

"Selphie!" Rinoa shouted. She sighed and slumped back on her saddle. "Zell! It's not a race…."

"Maybe it is, you were in quite a hurry to get here," Squall told her.

Rinoa nodded. She looked over at him, her face serious. "Squall, before we get there…I just want to…uh…say…um…thank you," she told him pitifully. She silently cursed herself. Usually, she was an excellent speaker. "You didn't have to come with us or even help us on our journey, but you did. You were part of the team…even after we forced you out of the water naked and tied you to a horse."

Squall nodded slowly. "I gave you my word that I would come and assist where I can. I will keep it," he assured her. Rinoa nodded once more.

"What were you doing, anyway?" she asked. "It was late that night I found you."

Squall turned his head back towards the path ahead of them. "I was waiting," he told her quietly. She crinkled her eyes.

"For what?" A few more moments of silence lingered between them. He turned his head towards her and met her eyes.

"Someone important." Her heart quickened as his eyes lingered on hers just a bit longer. Before she could ask, he turned his head away. "We should hurry and catch up," Squall said beside her. He looked over at her seriously. "The sooner we get to your king, the sooner I can be of assistance and return."

Rinoa felt a small prang of sadness as he reminded her of why he was there. A wry smile graced her face as she gave him a small nod. Her hands tightened around the leather straps in her hands.

"I know," she said. She looked forward, avoiding his eyes as she gave her horse a slight nudge and urged her forward. "Let's get this over with."

He raised a brow behind her, but stayed quiet as he followed her up the stone street . Without Selphie and the others chatting away, the air between them was silent and tense. Rinoa remained sitting stiffly on her saddle as she tried to pretend Squall wasn't right next to her and that she didn't want him to just disappear from her life after Seifer was cured.

She knew what the terms were when she agreed to them back in the inn, but that had been weeks earlier. She hadn't known him. Since then, things had changed. A friendship, at least she though, had been formed. He'd helped feed and care for the horses, he'd answered Selphie's endless amount of questions, he'd share hair care tips with Irvine, and even spared with Zell.

Having watched him that one late afternoon, it occurred to her that all those times she had grabbed on to him, he could've easily hurt her, but he didn't. It frustrated her that such a thought appealed to her. And made her tingle the same way his touch did.

He could've run away at any time. He could've knocked her unconscious and fled into the forest, but he didn't. He was keeping his word to go with them and she saw honor in that. Squall didn't have to stand guard with her and keep her company. He didn't have to cradle her head against him when she gave into sleep and awoke, drooling humiliatingly on his shoulder. He didn't have to give her a soft amused smile and tell her it was alright and that the next night, he'd make sure she was just as comfortable.

She'd nearly died remembering that. The other three knights, thankfully, hadn't heard, but she wasn't sure they were blind to her attraction. As odd as they were, they were perceptive. Too perceptive to not have noticed Rinoa staring at Squall. Rinoa mentally groaned. She was a knight to her queen; mooning over an unfairly attractive winged man who was patient enough to answer Selphie after a few days of questioning was unbecoming of her.

"Rinoa, I believe we're here." And his voice made her legs tremble, just a bit. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked around the courtyard. Some guards were coming to help them dismount and take care of the horses from the stables.

"Selphie's gone to get Quistis and Irvine went to fetch the doctors," Zell said from one of the stone doorways. "Selphie said she'd meet you in the throne room."

Rinoa landed on the dirt beside her horse and nodded. She looked at Squall and gave him a nod of her head. "Don't worry," she assured him. "I told you before, you will be able to return."

"And if they don't agree with that?" Squall asked, almost knowingly.

"Then I will still escort you back myself do ensure that you do," she asserted. She held her head high as she began to walk forward. He followed behind her. Guards began to flank them as they entered the castle and march in formation behind them as they went down a long corridor. Rinoa frowned. If Squall didn't try to leave before, he wouldn't leave now.

"There you are!" Selphie said as they found her waiting by the open doors. "Irvine isn't back with the doctors yet, but they'll be in shortly."

"We'll introduce him to Quistis then," Rinoa nodded. She looked at Selphie, almost reluctantly. "How is Seifer, by the way?"

They stepped through the large double doors and on to a red carpet leading to the double thrones. "Not good," Selphie shook her head.

"Rinoa?" The trio looked towards the thrones as a tall, slender woman rose from her seat. She ignored any royal protocol and quickly came down the steps, rushing forward to meet them.

The head of the knights smiled as warmly as she could under the stressing circumstances and quickened her speed. She met the gown-clad queen in a tight embrace before stepping back and leading Quistis to the stranger.

"We found him, Quistis," she told the golden-haired woman lovingly. "This is Squall."

Quistis stood in front of him. She looked confused. "He…isn't a fairy."

"I am," Squall said before Rinoa or Selphie could reply on his behalf. "My name is Squall. I am the son of Raine and Laguna of Esthar." Rinoa tilted her head to the side. Those names sounded familiar. She shook it off and watched as Squall removed the blanket still wrapped around his shoulders to prove his identity.

As soon as the wings came into view, Quistis nearly fainted in relief. Her hand rose to her chest as she closed her eyes tightly. "Thank you," she choked out as she pursed her lips. "You have no idea how close I am to losing him." She bowed her head at the newcomer. "I cannot thank you enough."

"I brought the doctors!" Irvine's voice shouted from the side. The group turned towards his direction and saw three men in dark robes rushing forward. All three looked stunned seeing the human-sized male with the clear, sparkling wings.

"Quickly!" Rinoa frowned as she saw them staring at Squall. "Do not just stand there and stare!"

"Rinoa is correct," Quistis stated proudly. She looked at Squall, her face gentler than when she spoke to the doctors. "Sir, if you please…May we have some of your powder?"

Squall nodded and extended one of his four slender wings. "Just tap a bowl against it," he instructed. "The powder will fall in."

The doctors nodded, each holding two bowls. One by one, they collected the powder from his wings into the stone bowls.

"What else is needed?" Irvine demanded. "Water? Oil?"

"Water! The Oracle instructed us to give this powder to the king mixed in with hot water," one of the doctors told them.

"Call for a servant!" Irvine shouted.

"Hot water is already waiting. Seifer has a pot already in his room," Quistis told them. She whirled around, the tails of her gown fluttering behind her as she moved forward. "Quickly, follow me!"

"I have to see to the horses," Selphie said. She looked at Squall and Rinoa. "You two go ahead."

"Let us know how King Grumpy takes it," Irvine said. Rinoa nodded and beckoned for Squall to follow her. He hesitantly trailed behind her, feeling somewhat awkward as they emerged into the hall once more and were immediately flanked with guards.

Neither Quistis nor the doctors seemed to pay them any mind as they cut across the castle and headed straight for the king's bedchambers. The guards standing at his door bowed in their queen's presence as she burst through the door.

The doctors followed behind her and Rinoa peeked into the room from the doorway. Her eyes widened. Seifer was laying still on the bed. His mouth was open as labored breaths struggled to escape it.

"The doctors are here with the elixir, Seifer," Quistis told him as she pointed to a steaming kettle on the table. One of the doctors quickly poured a small amount of hot water into a small stone bowl before stirring its contents with a wooden spoon.

"Try to help him sit up," one doctor instructed. Quistis sat beside her husband, taking it upon herself to lift her frail spouse up and steady him against her as the first doctor placed a spoonful of concoction in his mouth.

Then came another and another. They watched the king carefully; taking note of his swallows as well as any return of color or additional movement.

"He's finished the first bowl…there doesn't seem to be any changes," the first doctor frowned. "Bring another!"

This time, Quistis frowned. "Is that safe? Doesn't the medicine need to settle first?"

"We do not know if it is working at all, your grace," the second doctor said. He began to shovel the liquid into Seifer's mouth once more.

From the doorway, Rinoa clenched her fists, silently willing her sovereign to get better. She felt a warm hand brush against hers and nearly jumped as she turned around. Squall stood beside her and gave her a soft smile.

"He'll be alright," he promised her quietly.

She looked down at their conjoined hands and smiled softly. Her fingers wound around his and gave him a gentle squeeze. "I trust you."

"It's not working," a doctor declared, irritated after the third bowl was administered. He shook his head. "Three bowls of this and nothing has changed!"

"No…," Quistis said as she held her husband against her. She could feel his labored breathing easing. "No, I can feel it."

The doctors narrowed their eyes and leaned forward. Seifer was still pale and rasping. His mouth was moving and the doctor extended his hand. "Give me the forth!"

"Isn't that a bit much already?" Rinoa asked from the doorway. "He's already had three bowls. We should wait to see-"

"There is not much time, Sir Heartilly!" one doctor snapped as they shot her a glare. "You did your job, now leave us to do ours!"

She glared at their backs. Squall held on to her hand firmly. "Don't worry, too much won't have an adverse affect," he assured her. Rinoa nodded.

Across the room, Quistis narrowed her eyes curiously as she watched their interaction. Blue orbs drifted to their entwined hands. They certainly weren't doing that before….

Before she could ask, she felt Seifer convulse against her. She turned her attention immediately to her husband and clamped her hands on him as his body pushed forward, coughing up the hot liquid he had been spoon-fed.

"What's going on!?" Quistis demanded. "What's happening!?"

"His body isn't taking the medicine!" one doctor shouted. Seifer began to cough once more, liquid dribbling down the corners of his mouth. The doctor whirled around and fixed his eyes on Rinoa and Squall. "Are you certain that creature is a fairy!?" he demanded.

Rinoa's face reddened. "I am most certain!" she shouted back as she stormed forward. "Hasn't he provided what was required!?"

"Then why is his highness rejecting the medicine!?" another doctor cut in.

"Seifer! Seifer, breathe!" Quistis urged from beside him. The pale man was leaning forward, trying to stop the coughing.

"This wouldn't happen with a real fairy!"

"He is a real fairy!" Rinoa yelled. Squall stepped in to try to calm her, but found himself stopped by the guards.

"Then explain why his highness is getting worse!"

"You were force feeding him several bowls of hot water!" Rinoa argued back.

"Guards!" another doctor. "Arrest that fake!" Rinoa's head shot up. Behind her Squall looked surprised. Heavy hands clamped on his shoulders and he was pulled back roughly.

"Squall!" Rinoa shouted. She turned around. "Stop it! Release him at once!" she ordered the guards.

"Take him to the dungeons!" the doctor overrode her demands. "His fake powder has weakened the king!"

"What?" Rinoa nearly shrieked as she whirled around and faced the doctor. "No! He's not!" she screamed over the sounds of guards, doctors, Quistis' cries and Seifer's coughing. She turned back to the door. Squall stood stiffly to the side, allowing his wrists to be bound once more as a handful of royal guard circled him; their lanced aimed at him in threat. The female knight's eyes widened. "Stop it! What are you doing!"

"Take him to the dungeon!" a doctor shouted. "Until we can be sure that he isn't a fake, we can't let him leave!"

"Wait!" Rinoa cried out. She moved forward, trying to go after the royal guards escorting the winged man away, only to feel several other hands holding her back. "He's not a fake! I can prove it!"

"Someone restrain Sir Heartilly!" someone shouted.

"Squall!" Rinoa cried out as guards grabbed her arms, keeping her from going after him. She pulled against him, lashing out and yelling as she tried to keep her eyes on him. "Squall!" she screamed, her hair flying over her face as she managed to shove one guard away. Another two rushed forward to restrain her in his place. "I'll get you out! Don't worry!" she yelled.

With blades pointed at him and guards dragging him forward, Squall looked over his shoulder once more. Brown eyes locked on to his as she continued to fight to reach him. " _I'll come for you!"_

* * *

"Sir Heartilly." He heard someone say her name and he lifted his tired head up, towards the sound.

"I've been given approval to speak to the prisoner." Squall narrowed her eyes. Her voice sounded hoarse. "Here. Queen Quistis' seal."

The heavy metal door unlocked and Squall winced at the sliver of light that fell across his eyes. He turned his head away as heavy footsteps descended from the door and approached him.

"Squall?" she called for him. For others, being thrown in a dungeon was a sure sign of betrayal and if anyone else had swore to him that he would freed, but not show up for…he lost track of time, but he would've certainly felt the betrayal. However, when Rinoa called for him, his tired body moved. She heard chains rustling in his direction and he heard her footsteps quicken. She rounded the corner and she let out a shocked gasp. Her hands few to her mouth. "Squall...?"

His clothes hung looser on his body than she remembered. He sat on the ground, his wings folded against him and touching the dirty stone floor, looking dull and frail. His arms were raised above his head, shackled together against the wall he leaned against. Even in the dim torch light of the dungeon, she could see how taunt and pale his face had become.

"Fairies," he croaked, wincing as he heard his own voice. "Don't do well in captivity."

She fell to her knees beside him and he could see her swollen, puffy red eyes. A pained expression seemed fixed on her face as her hands cupped his and stroked his hair out of his eyes. "I'm sorry," she wheezed out. "I'm so sorry…I didn't know this would happen, Squall. I didn't know they'd put you here."

Tears rimmed her eyes and he could see them glistening over. He put all his effort into giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine," he told her. "I'm alright. This isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is," she whispered. Her fingers caressed the side of his face. Had his cheek always been that hollow? She closed her eyes and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his. "I am so sorry."

Squall closed his own eyes and leaned forward, nudging her head gently with his as if trying to comfort her. "How long have I been in here?"

She sniffled and turned her head away shamefully. "Two days," she admitted.

Squall tensed just a bit. He didn't get any light in the dungeon and wasn't sure if it was daylight or night outside. Still, he knew it had been some time since he last saw her.

Odd; they had spent a few weeks together traveling. Day in and day out, they had been at each other's side. He had slept beside her, ate with her, spoken with her, but the full extent of that feeling that was slowly consuming him from within didn't make itself known until he was led away and watched her being held back by three guards as she tried to go after him.

Perhaps that was why he didn't feel the betrayal. He knew she would come for him. Somehow, sometime, she would come.

"I never doubted you'd come to me," he said, more to himself than to her. He opened his eyes and met her wet brown ones. He smiled softly. "I'm glad you did."

She sniffled and shook her head guilty. "It's my fault you're in here in the first place," she reminded him, angry with herself. "I should've come sooner." She lifted her head and met his beseechingly. "We've been pleading with Quistis, but Seifer's not completely well yet. The advisors and doctors are hesitant to let you leave until her husband is better."

"Is Seif…your king getting better?" he asked carefully. Rinoa nodded.

"He spat out the first elixir since they gave him too much to drink, but the Oracle had arrived and she force fed him a good amount. We think he's getting better," she pointed out. She lowered her eyes. "We've been at least trying to get you out of the dungeon, but once more, the advisors are afraid you'll try to escape." She bit her lower lip "And I can't blame you if you did."

"You said you'd escort me back yourself," Squall reminded her. She raised her eyes, confused. "Will you still do that?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Squall nodded. He hesitated. "Do you know how long I'll be kept down here?" Rinoa shook her head.

"No, but it shouldn't be more than a few days until we can convince them to move you to an actual room. I'm sure with Seifer being better by then and the advisors will heed to our request!" she offered. The hopeful smile on her face faded as she saw his solemn, sad smile. Her shoulders lowered. Something was wrong. "How long can you fairies last in captivity?" she asked quietly.

His sparkling blue eyes were dull. "Three days."

She couldn't breath. She sat in front of him, her face paling as he lowered his eyes. She shook her head in disbelief. "Why didn't you say something? Three days?"

"Did you think the guard would believe me?" he asked, almost bitterly. Rinoa wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his shoulder.

"You should've said something!" she cried against him. "What if I didn't come today? What if I came and you weren't…."

He closed his eyes and pressed his head against the side of hers. He'd never wished to be unshackled and able to touch another more in his life. "You did come. That matters."

She pulled away and cupped his face once more in her small hands. He watched as her eyes met his before she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

That tingling that she felt when they were close and when they touched seemed to amplify. She leaned forward a bit more, parting her lips as he pushed back with his meager strength. She moved closer, bringing her body against his and trying to close any gap between them as she remained locked with him.

He found his arms pulling against the shackles; wanting desperately to return the favor, but sadly unable to. He knew there was something special about her; something that made him feel unexpectedly whole when they were together and he was sure more than ever that the one he was waiting for that night in Esthar's border was her.

"Sir Heartilly!" a voice boomed over the dungeon. Rinoa unceremoniously ripped her lips from Squall's and quickly snapped her head towards the voice. "Are you alright down there!?"

"I am well!" she shouted back. Her voice was shaking and her face was flushed and warm, but part of her certainly felt well.

Squall smiled intently at her. He took in the slightly embarrassed expression and silently engraved it into his mind. If he were going to die, it would be Rinoa he would be thinking of last.

"You should go," he told her in a low voice.

Her eyes crinkled up. How could she just leave him now? Her lips drew into a tight line as she reached down to her boot and slid her hand against it. She lifted up a small, thin blade and lifted it up. Squall's eyes couldn't help but widen as she sat up on her knees, her chest in his face as she leaned upwards and grasped his shackle lock with one of her hands.

"Rinoa-"

"Shhh," she whispered in a low voice as she slid the tip of the knife into the lock and began to fumble with it. "I can do this. I saw Selphie do it tons of times."

He almost wanted to laugh. Was she trying to pick his lock? He looked down and turned his head away before finding it wedged between her breasts. "Rinoa, you don't have to-"

A small click cut him off. Rinoa gasped, surprised she was able to actually do it. Her face lit up as she sat back and put the knife back in her booth. She smiled widely. That had to be a sign. Usually, she was terrible at such things.

She looked down at once more and cupped his face, tilting it upwards and kissing him once more.

"Wait for me," Rinoa told him as she pulled away. "I'll be back tonight."

His brows furrowed as she rose to her feet. He lowered his aching arms and shook his head. "Rinoa, no. You can't-"

"I swore to you that you would be free once you helped us," she told him, determined. "And that I would personally escort you back if they would not let you leave. I swore that and I will keep my word."

His eyes narrowed. "If you do, you will be punished."

She didn't hesitate. "Only if I come back."

She slipped around the corner before he could protest further. He slumped back against the wall and let out a heavy breath as he listened to her footsteps walk away and finally the open and close of the dungeon door.

As he rubbed his aching, welted wrists, he froze. " _Only if I come back."_

He weighed her words for an endless amount of time afterwards and even when the door opened once more and steady footsteps were heard, he had grown unsure of whether or not she meant what he dared to hope she meant.

The footsteps drew closer and Squall remained in his seat, raising his arms and pretending they were still on his shackles. Instead of a guard, Rinoa appeared once more, only instead of her casual knight's uniform, she was in tights and an oversized tunic beneath a dark blue riding cloak. A look of urgency replaced her earlier expression of sadness as she extended her hands towards him.

He smiled, unable to help himself as she fell to her knees beside him and wrapped her arms around him.

"The guard is asleep and the alcohol will only last so long," she whispered against his ear. "We must go."

He nodded weakly. He strained as he tried to pull himself up and found that Rinoa was the one lifting most of the weight. He stumbled and leaned heavily against her. "I'm sorry, Rinoa. I-"

"No, no!" she insisted as she kept one arm under his. "You helped me up when we were in the water…I can help you up now."

She did more than help him up, he thought. She was with him, step by step, half-dragging him out of the dungeon. Miraculously, the guard that had been at the door was still slumped over, snoring on his chair as they trudged from the dungeon.

Rinoa led him through old, rarely used servant's halls to avoid being seen. It was clearly longer than the way the guards had taken him when they took him to the dungeon the first time, but Rinoa was steadfast. Squall wasn't sure if he was impressed, shocked, or had fallen even more in love with her by the time reached the stables.

"Stay here," she said as she leaned him against a stack of hay. She unbuttoned her cloak and wrapped it around him, both to keep him warm and hide his wings. "I'll get my horse."

All of the above, he decided. He nodded and steadied himself on the hall. He could feel the fresh air and relished the feeling against his skin as he took a deep breath. It would still take him some time, and actual food, to get back to normal, but the fresh hair helped.

Further inside the stables, Rinoa went to grab her saddle and stopped. It wasn't hanging on the wall with the others. Her eyes crinkled up. It had to be there, she thought as she combed the other saddles, looking for hers. It was always there.

She heard a snort behind her and whirled around. Her eyes went wide as she saw Selphie standing by the open pen door of her horse. In her hands were leather reins…two sets, connected to two horses.

"Selphie," Rinoa swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked at her unsurely. She willed herself not to glance in Squall's direction. "What are you doing here?"

The green-eyed knight's lower lip trembled. "You don't have much time," she choked out. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed one of Rinoa's hands. She placed the reins in it and turned her head away. "Irvine and Zell are taking care of the sentries on the eastern wall. They don't have long, but you can get out of town walls by before you can be seen if you leave now."

Rinoa's disbelieving eyes slowly crinkled up. "Selphie…what are you saying?"

The petite brunette sniffled and began to wipe at her eyes. "I'm saying that Squall better take good care of you!" she began to cry. "Because if he doesn't, I'll come after him! Again!"

Rinoa grabbed on to the smaller knight and held her tightly as Selphie embraced her back. "I'm sorry, Selphie," she whispered. "And thank you."

Selphie sniffled and reluctantly let go. "Quickly!" she said as she wiped at her eyes once more. "Quistis gave you some money to help you. It's in your horse's saddle. Now go! You don't have much time!"

Rinoa nodded and lead the horses to the front of the stables. She helped Squall on to one, instructing him to hold on to her tight after she mounted in front of him. With the other horse tied to hers, they slipped out of the eastern gate.

From a stone tower, a pair of blue eyes watched her childhood friend and the man her friend had clearly been in love with dash off into the night. Quistis closed her eyes tightly and held back her own tears.

"The deal you made with the Oracle," her husband said behind her, from where he was standing in a loose robe, waiting for her to go to bed. "In return for a cure for me. What was it?"

"I told her I would give her whatever she pleased of my own," Quistis said quietly. "And she said she wanted Rinoa's freedom from the knights." She turned around and met near-haughty green ones with sad, glistening blue ones. "She sent me, years ago, to the Galbadian border and that is where I met Rinoa, Seifer. The Oracle gave me my best friend…and then she asked for her back. Why? Why would she do that?"

Seifer held his arms open as his wife fit into them perfectly. He rested his chin against her head and closed his eyes. "I think, Quisty, that the Oracle may have meant Rinoa for someone else…but I don't think she took your best friend away. She just gave her what Rinoa was able to give you."

* * *

He removed the bridles from the horses and tossed them to the shore before allowing them to lower their necks and drink from the refreshing water where weeks earlier, he had been tackled into the inlet by an overzealous knight.

Rinoa sat on a rock and removed her shoes, dipping her feet in the water as she let out a content sigh.

"How long have we been riding?"

"Too long," Squall told her. He rubbed the side of a horse's neck and looked over at her. "Are you tired?"

She shook her head, although it was obvious that she was. "How much longer until we get to your mother's?"

"The City isn't much further," he assured her. "A day or two at most."

"What's it like there?" Rinoa asked as he took a seat next to her. Squall's wings twitched behind her.

He seemed to contemplate his answer for a moment. "Esthar City is made of crystals," he told her. "It's…hard to describe."

"Are the people nice?" she asked quietly. She drew her head back. "Will they not accept a human?"

"My mother says that all humans who enter Esthar must be of a good heart," he told her. "Since you came it in, that says something."

"I still can't help but be a little nervous," Rinoa admitted as she brought her knees to her chest. She wiggled her toes just above the water. "How is your mother like? You said before that she worked in the royal palace? Is she a high ranking noble or something?"

He hesitated. His mother was the queen. "She'll like you," he assured her. "Don't worry." Rinoa narrowed her eyes. "She's high ranking." Rinoa continued to stare. "Queen."

"Queen?" Rinoa spat out. She blinked and shook her head. The name he had said at the castle…it was the same name of the fairy queen her mother had told her when she was a child. "That's impossible…you can't…but…I caught you…." Her eyes went wide. "I'm with a fairy prince."

He held back a laugh. "It's nothing. Just a title."

"Well…do you have any siblings? Brothers? Sisters? Really close cousins?" Rinoa asked.

"I do have an older sister, but…," Squall looked down at the water. "She left years ago, with our father. He came back but, she didn't."

Her eyes saddened as she reached over and grasped his hand. "Do you miss her?"

"I do, but I know that wherever she is, she is doing well," he asserted proudly as he looked at Rinoa. "She told me she would and I believe her."

"Why?"

"Before she left, she told me that I'd meet my princess here, during a full moon," he pointed out. "And I did."

A small smile appeared on Rinoa's lips. "It's a good thing the Oracle told us to go this way, then, isn't it?" she chuckled. "Good things always happen when we listen to Oracle Ellone."

He tensed. His eyes widened as he looked at her seriously. "Say it again. Her name," Squall lifted his head and furrowed his brows. "What did you say her name was?"

"The Oracle?" Rinoa asked. He nodded earnestly and moved closer. "Ellone. The Oracle at Winhill."

His breath caught in his throat. He hadn't heard that name in ages, seen her even longer. She really was still alive and well. And in Winhill.

He smiled slightly and shook his head. Now he got it.

"And she sent you?" He smiled softly, his eyes looking intently at hers.

"Yep," Rinoa nodded as she leaned forward. She could feel his lips graze hers. "She sent me right to you."

* * *

**Squall's Office, Mid-Afternoon**

Slowly, a pair of blue eyes moved from the magazine he was reading and to the cocky looking blond seated across from him. Seifer leaned back against the hard, plastic chair in Squall's office, casually looking at his nails as if silently debating whether or not he needed to go with Quistis for another manicure. His usual smirk was plastered across his face.

Squall's dull eyes studied the would-be romance writer. He knew there were some things a bit far-fetched in Seifer's mind. He, and the others, had long established that the Almasy mind was a terrifying place. This article, however…it seemed that Seifer had just raised his own bar.

Green eyes flickered to the commanding officer and Seifer sat up straight, grinning. "Done, already?" he asked coolly. "Amazing how quickly time flies when you're enjoying something, isn't it?"

For a moment, Squall wondered if Seifer's head would explode from how large it was getting. "This is your fairytale?"

"Obviously," Seifer snorted. "There's a fairy in it, isn't there?"

Squall wasn't sure how to answer that, but was fairly sure Seifer's reasoning was wrong. He carefully put the folded magazine on his desk and took a deep breath.

"Can I ask what exactly… _inspired_ you," he began carefully. "To write this?"

He was answered with an indignant snort. "As if I'd tell you all my writing secrets!" Seifer announced proudly. "All you need to know is that's the stuff moms will be telling to their daughters for bedtime from now until forever!"

Squall highly doubted any of the mothers they new ever would. "You wrote about a fairy prince who was elaborately set up to fall in love with a human knight by his estranged sister who was also an oracle."

"I know what you're thinking," the blond replied as he leaned forward. "Seifer – where did this stroke of genius come from? Where have you been hiding it? I don't usually do this, but I'm in a good mood today, so I'll tell you. A few nights before I wrote it, I was trying to come up with a new spin on the standard fairy story."

The corner of Squall's eye twitched. "There is a standard fairy story?"

"Shut up, I'm talking," Seifer snapped. "Anyway, I thought that instead of a kind fairy princess being captured by some wandering swordsman, why not make it a stubborn fairy prince being captured – barely – by a ditzy, would-be knight? I heard those new spin on fairytales and stuff are in right now."

Squall rubbed the bridge of his nose as he leaned forward and closed his eyes. "You're having them wrestle in water and then make out in a dungeon. I don't understand."

"Three words," Seifer told him, lifting up a hand with three fingers. "Unresolved Sexual Tension."

"Five words," Squall countered. "This story doesn't make sense."

"You don't make sense!" Seifer snapped back. The two glared at each other.

"Whatever," Squall grumbled. "This is the last crime against writing you'll do for the magazine anyway."

"What?" Seifer frowned. "I thought we needed money."

"We met this fiscal half's goals," Squall told him. "That means, we've hit our targets, so we're on budget. We're good on money right now."

He couldn't help but notice the somewhat disappointed expression on Seifer's face. It was as if the arrogant blond man had found his calling and suddenly was stripped of it. "But…what if we need more funding in the future?" Seifer pointed out.

"We'll deal with that then," Squall told him. "After my run next week, we'll stop writing for Sis's magazine."

"Let me write one more," Seifer demanded as he sat up straight.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Are you forgetting that you're a Commander and not a writer?" Squall asked with a roll of his eyes.

"I can do both!" Seifer insisted as he shot up from his seat. "I'm talented!"

The door opened with a creak and a tall blonde woman with a protruding stomach beneath a loose, pink dress narrowed her eyes behind her glasses.

"Talented?" Quistis asked drolly. "This from the man who can't be bothered to pick his towels off the bathroom floor."

"I said I'd get around to it!" Seifer insisted. "And what are you doing all the way on this side of the garden? Didn't Dr. Kadowaki say to take it easy while you're pregnant with Seifer Junior?"

Quistis sighed heavily. "We've been through this," she began carefully as she walked in and placed a small stack of papers on Squall's desk. "We're having a girl."

Squall resisted the urge to smirk. "Are these the upcoming teaching schedules for next semester?" he asked as he reached across his desk to gather the papers. Quistis nodded.

"It took a while, but I managed to work in the respective vacation times the instructors requested," Quistis informed him. She looked back at her husband. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"We were having a small chat about my superior abilities," Seifer told her proudly. Quistis raised one shaped brow.

"In what?" His face fell and Squall casually lifted up the papers to hide the his smirk. "If you're done with your chat, then you come with me. I need your help with the laundry." Her husband groaned.

"Can't you get someone else to do it?"

"Who, Seifer? The baby? Stop your whining and come on," Quistis ordered. "I'm tired of you telling Fujin and Raijin to do it. They have actual jobs!" She marched out the door and Seifer followed behind her. He reached to close the door and shot Squall a glare.

"This isn't over, _Captain_."

"Seifer!" Quistis yelled. " _Come on_!"

"I'm coming, my beautiful reason for living!" The door slammed shut and Squall shook his head. He turned back to his computer and pulled up the file he had been working on before. He had written two sentences, when the door burst open and a huffing Rinoa flew in.

"Squall!" she nearly screamed. Her face was flushed and glistening with sweat, looking as if she had run clear across the Garden. He furrowed his brow and rose from his seat cautiously.

"What is it?"

"Angelo's running amok in the training room and I don't have access to get in and stop everyone! Selphie and Irvine and Zell are on a mission and-"

"I got it." The chair where he had been sitting was spinning as he flew past her and raced out the door. "Get my jacket!" he shouted from the hall. "If I need to shut it down manually, I'll need to go the power box!"

"Got it!" Rinoa shouted. She rounded his desk and gasped the leather jacket that was hanging on the back of his chair. As she pulled it off, her eyes caught sight of his screen. That wasn't his usual official Balamb Garden memo format. She tilted her head to the side as she skimmed a few paragraphs quickly.

"Rinoa! The elevator is closing!" Squall shouted.

The brunette grinned and nodded her head. "Coming, Squall!"

* * *


	4. End = Beginning = End = ?

He knew she was there; there was nowhere else for her to go. She had been run out of his kingdom, called unfit to be the bride of the prince, and forced back to her family's dilapidated castle; an old remnant of their once former strength.

"My lady!" he called into the halls as he stopped at the top of the stairs. He scowled. She didn't answer.

"Your highness!" a trembling servant called from the foyer at the bottom of the stairs. "The villagers are on your heels! What should we do?"

Responsibility for their lives had now fallen on his shoulders now that her father, the last male member of her family, had died.

His blue eyes crinkled up. The small handful of loyal servants left at his betrothed's former home would be no match to the swarm of angry, hateful villagers storming the surrounding walls, armed with weapons in search for the once-loved noble woman. The servants would be slaughtered standing in their way.

"Leave," he told them in a low voice. "Take what you can and leave immediately! Go through the side entrances and flee this place at once! Take pains not to be caught by the mob!"

The few who remained stood at the foot of the stairs, unmoving as they looked up at the prince. The smallest of them, a servant girl who had been with the noblewoman since they were children, spoke up.

"I'm afraid we can't do that, your highness," she smiled sadly. "We will not abandon our lady."

The royal frowned. "Then what will you do?" he asked. "You are but a handful of men and women. The villagers will turn on you if you insist on protecting her – a sorceress."

"You underestimate us, good prince," a haughty blond man smirked. "Sorceress or not, she is now the only member of this house – a house have sworn to serve and protect with our lives."

"And serve and protect we shall," a tall blonde woman added solemnly. "To our last breaths." She cocked her head to the side and gave him a questioning look. "Besides, good prince," she told him. "Are you not doing the same?"

His hands clenched at his sides. She was a nameless woman to a dying noble family in a neighboring kingdom. Using all the connections he had, her father arranged a marriage for her with the crown prince. As soon as the arrangements had been made, he had died; leaving everything to his only daughter.

She had come to live with the prince and his family. She was nearly penniless, the only member of her family, but her kind, generous disposition won a seemingly heartless prince over. Their love, he came to realize, was mutual.

However, before they could be wed, an assassination attempt on his life triggered a latent power in her, knocking the assassins unconscious, but revealing it in a public place. What should have been a heroic occasion turned dark as the kingdom that had once been ravaged by a power hungry sorceress branded her very existence a crime.

She fled his home kingdom, even after he had tried to quell the rumors about her. His people had grown to hate her so easily and, from the sight of the mob that had gathered as he raced past to the old castle, so did her own.

As he stood at the top of the stairs, searching for her, he realized that they were completely cornered.

The servants continued to look at him curiously and he nodded. "I swore an oath to be by her side," he told them. "Even if the world turned against her…and I will keep my word." Even in such a situation, the remaining servants smiled.

"Then we will hold them off as long as we can," another man assured him. He looked at the two other men they were with. "Barricade the doors and put down the gates!" The three of them scattered, leaving only the two women.

"Your highness," the blonde woman said as she bowed. "Thank you."

"We will do our best for you and our lady," the brunette added.

His gut wrenched. They would not see finish the sunrise and it angered him just a bit. His betrothed would not want them to throw their lives away, yet he admired their devotion and still loved her.

"Do what you want," he spat out as he turned to the right and stalked down the hall. He paused before he disappeared completely and whispered under his breath. "And thank you."

Yelling could be heard outside and the two women whirled around. "Help me bring down the barricade!" the blonde shouted. The brunette nodded and rushed forward. Just as they managed to release the heavy wooden bar across the main doors a crash came from one of the other rooms.

The two turned their attention to the ballroom to their right. Large stones were breaking the windows. Glass shattered, vases fell, and voices of angry villagers penetrated the once quiet castle.

The small brunette grabbed on to the taller blonde. "This is it, isn't it?"

A loud yell of a dying man could be heard outside and the blonde woman's eyes rimmed to tears. Pain ripped through her being. That was her husband's voice.

"Yes," she whispered breathily. "I'm afraid that it is."

Bodies poured through the broken windows. People were yelling. Torches were carried. Somewhere, curtains were being set alight. They fought, trying to keep the angry mob from going up the stairs, but it was no use. The brunette fell from the stairs and did not get up. The blonde was lost beneath a stampede.

The mob rushed up the stairs. Orders were given to sweep the entire castle in search for the dangerous sorceress. Someone yelled to have the surrounding forest checked. As they reached the hall, the entire castle began to shake.

The mob came to a halt as they tried to steady themselves. Bodies were thrown against a wall and bouncing against each other as portraits, mirrors, and tapestries fell from the walls. A loud rumble was heard, silencing the crowd as the castle buckled once more.

They braced themselves for the building to cave into itself, but it never came. The villagers exchanged looks.

"The sorceress!" someone accused. A rousing yell filled the corridor and they stormed forward. They reached the end of the hall, pushing the door open and stopping at the threshold.

An entire side of the tower was gone; sunken into the ravine behind the castle.

"What happ-"

"The prince!" someone shouted. Several eyes turned and looked at the very edge of the floor, watching helplessly as the prince's body slid off of the edge and into the abyss.

* * *

"It's haunted," Zell stated as he looked up at the massive stone structure before them. He held his arms up over his head in a futile attempt to keep the rain off.

"Totally haunted," Selphie agreed beside him as she stared wide-eyed at the old Galbadian castle. Part of it seemed to have been taken back by the surrounding cliffside's plants, but the massive stone structure still stood forebodingly.

"It doesn't matter!" Squall shouted from behind them. Irvine brought down the hood of the transport vehicle that had suddenly died on them just as they reached the old building. "We just need a place to stay the night!"

Zell wrinkled his nose. They had been returning to Deling City from the border region of Galbadia aiding some Galbadia Garden SeeDs, when the storm they had been warned about came rushing in. A flash flood was reported through the radios and when they got to one of the bridges, they discovered it had been completely washed out.

With nowhere else to go but back, the foursome backtracked. Irvine had directed them to an old castle on the border, near some Galbadia Garden training grounds. It had been left for time and nature to reclaim, so he figured it would be all right for them to take shelter in it for the night.

"Zell! Help Irvine with the rations," Squall ordered. "Selphie, prepare to scout the place!"

"Will do, Commander!" Selphie gave him a quick salute before bounding up the overgrown stone steps. Squall dug out a mobile radio device from the back of the vehicle and followed after her. As he entered, he could hear Selphie calling out to see if there was anyone else in there .

Zell and Irvine wandered through after him, each holding the handles of a large metal crate carrying some basic overnight supplies for the four of them.

"Where do you want it, Squall?" Irvine asked he glanced around. Beside him, Zell's eyes took in the high, vaulted ceiling above them. Scorch marks lined some of the walls and there was a lack of furnishings, but it was obvious the abandoned old building was once the home of a wealthy family.

Their team leader looked around the foyer and narrowed his eyes as he turned to the left and entered the nearest room. Through an arched doorway that was now missing the said door, he found a spacious room lined with old wooden shelves. Almost all of the shelves had rotted and fallen into themselves. There was some old furniture pushed to a corner, but even they were just remnants of a bygone world.

However the room did seem to have a fireplace they could use. And it was close to the entrance. The windows were small, so not much rain or would penetrate the dank room.

"In here," Squall said as he lifted a hand and waved them in. "Get some of the fire pellets and see if you can get a fire going in the hearth. It's getting dark so we don't have much time and I want to conserve our flashlight batteries."

"Sounds like a plan," Irvine said. "What about you?"

They trudged past him as Squall knelt down on the floor and turned on the mobile radio device. "I'm going to see if I can get a signal and let Galbadia Garden know where we are," he told them as he lifted the strap of the machine over his shoulder and rose to his feet. He held the antennae out and checked a small screen, keeping his eye on it as he wandered back out.

Suddenly, a scream cut through the castle. Squall's head shot up as he tore down the hall.

"That was Selphie!" Zell yelled behind him.

"Obviously! You know anyone else here who would scream like that!?" Irvine yelled back as he ran after Squall.

The blue-eyed brunette skidded around the corner. "Selphie!" he shouted. "Report!"

They didn't get an answer as they rushed into a room and came to a halt. Selphie was standing on the edge of a floor that had given way to the ravine just behind the castle. Wide, green eyes were looking down, past the entire wall that had long ago tumbled away, into a dark gorge.

"Darlin', you okay!?" Irvine asked as he carefully approached.

Selphie nodded. She turned around and let out a heavy breath. "The…some of the floor," she said, vaguely waving to the ground in front of her. They heard a crack and looked at the ground a few paces from her. She took a slow step back, then another, just as a large piece of stone that made up the floor broke off and fell.

Zell swallowed nervously. "I'm starting to think coming here was a bad idea."

Squall rolled his eyes. "Selphie, are you alright?"

"Yeah," the petite brunette nodded. She offered him a bright smile. "I was just caught by surprise, that's all."

"Alright," Squall said. "Everyone, get back to the old library where we put the supplies. We'll need to make a point to avoid this part of the castle. Selphie, did you go anywhere else?"

"I checked the western side," she said as Irvine ushered her out of the old room. "No one's been here for years, it looks like. It looks like the eastern side is hardly livable since part of it is missing."

"Still, the place is old and falling apart," Squall frowned. "If you leave, make sure someone knows where you're going in case something happens and we need to search for you."

"Yeah," Irvine nodded. He furrowed his brows. "Come to think of it, this place is pretty old. It's been here as long as anyone I've talked to can remember."

The group headed back down the hall. "There are burn marks on the walls, but it looks like its contents have been cleaned out."

"Probably a raid," Squall mumbled as he glanced back over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. They hadn't notice that the old castle was situated on a cliff.

"I wonder who it used to belong to," Zell said as they walked into the library. He began to head back to the supply chest and lifted the latches to unlock it.

"Some old noble family," Irvine said. He brushed his gloved hand over an old wooden settee frame before carefully taking a seat. It creaked, but didn't fall apart. He nodded to himself and leaned back against it. "It was before Galbadia was united and was a bunch of little patches of fiefdoms or something." He furrowed his brow. "Come to think of it, there is an old story about the place."

"What is it?" Selphie asked curiously as she knelt in front of the supply chest and began to rummage through the supplies. She pulled out some flashlights as Zell tried to get a fire going.

Irvine inhaled and the released a heavy breath as he wracked his brain for the story. "Let's see…they say that a daughter of the family that owned the place died here, or more specifically, committed suicide here."

"What?" Selphie frowned. "Why?"

"Her father put her in an arranged marriage. He sent her off to marry a prince – a pretty good deal if you ask me, but the noblewoman ran away. She returned here after some trouble with her betrothed's kingdom and he came after her. Supposedly, he chased her all the way to the eastern tower," Irvine said, turning his head in the direct where they had come from. "They got into an argument and then, suddenly, the tower fell apart. The foundation beneath it crumbled and set over half the tower, including the entire roof, into ravine. By the time the townsfolk got there, all they saw was her dragging the prince to his death."

Zell and Selphie were staring at Irvine with wide-eyes and dropped jaws. Their white knuckled hands were gripping a can of beans and a lighter respectively.

Squall rolled his eyes and frowned. Perfect. That was exactly what easily frightened Zell and Selphie needed to hear. "I'm going to keep looking for a signal," he said as he turned around and began to head back into the hall. "Irvine, they're your responsibility now."

"No!" Selphie cried up as she jumped to her feet. "Don't go alone, Squall! This place is definitely haunted!"

"It's not haunted," Squall frowned. "It's just a story, Selphie."

"Yeah, Selphie!" Zell added as his eyes darted from side to side warily. "Just a story!"

Irvine grinned. He leaned forward and took his hat off his head. "They say that she was also mad at the townsfolk for forcing her to get married. Anyone caught trespassing here will be dragged off the cliff by the ghost of the noblewoman. That's why the village that used to surround the castle no longer exists. People fled after so many deaths."

"Irvine…," Squall warned.

The sharpshooter chuckled and leaned back. "I'm just kidding, guys. There ain't no such thing as an angry ghost woman here."

"What about the story?" Selphie frowned.

"There was a noblewoman who was supposed to marry a prince that lived here and stuff, but I'm sure the story is greatly exaggerated," Irvine assured her. He gave her a teasing wink. "No worries, darlin'. If something comes after you, I'll blast 'em."

Squall rolled his eyes once more. "I'll be back in a bit."

He headed out the door before Selphie could stop him again and lifted the radio antennae. He began fiddling with the knobs on the old mobile radio, silently wishing they had invested more money into updated equipment. That would be the first thing he would put in a proposal for when they returned, he asserted.

He kept his eyes on the reader's signal bar, moving towards wherever the signal flickered another bar stronger. However, as soon s he turned and made a few steps, the bar would disappear once more. It was growing a bit frustrating. He rounded a corner and the signal bar blinked. One bar…two bars!

His eyes widened hopefully. He moved forward – the two bars were strong; no longer flickering. He entered a room as a third bar flickered. Then….

Nothing.

Squall's lips drew into a tight line as he shook the signal reader. There were just two bars and a third was coming – now it was like the machine died. He turned around, hoping to find the sweet spot behind him, but couldn't bring up the bars again.

"What…," he mumbled to himself. He lifted his head and froze.

He hadn't felt the chill air. He hadn't even felt the rain whipping against him as the wind tossed it through the air. Squall stepped back, his eyes fixed on the darkened space just a few places away. Past the last few pieces of stone flooring, there was nothing but a drop.

He quickly stepped back, keeping himself close to the wall as he looked around the remains of the room. Was he above the eastern side of the castle? His eyes crinkled up. He was higher; had he walked up stairs? Frowning, he looked down at the signal reader and mentally chastised himself for not paying attention to his surroundings. What a terrible SeeD he was.

As he carefully headed to the door, he caught an old tapestry still hanging from the wall. It was sun damaged, but the fact that was still there after all those years, in comparison to the rest of the castle, was somewhat impressive.

He squinted. Faded and half unraveled, he could still make out the shape of a woman, seated in front of a landscape. It was only from her chest up and her hair had been pulled back and covered, probably due to the style at the time, but her eyes were familiar. Her eyes…her nose…. Squall frowned. Her lips.

"Rinoa…?"

"Squall!" a voice shouted from the hall. "Squall, are you up here!?"

"Yeah!" the commander shouted back, answering Irvine. He took a step away from the tapestry. The woman looked much like Rinoa, only Rinoa was almost always smiling or making some cutesy face that he admitted really did think was cute. The woman in the tapestry looked sad.

"Squall!?" Irvine called again, closer this time. "It's getting dark! And the food's ready!"

The blue-eyed brunette looked surprised. Had he been gone that long? He tore himself away from the tapestry and hooked the signal reader back on to the machine slung around him. He walked out the door as he saw Irvine's flashlight's beam cast against the wall. As he rounded the corner, he found the cowboy hat-wearing gunslinger waiting for him.

"No luck," Squall reported. "Is there usually reception here?"

"Yeah," Irvine nodded as they began to walk towards the stairs. "It's not the greatest and kind of dodgy, but there's a chance the weather caused something to go down."

That must've been it.

"Great," Squall frowned. "We'll have to try again tomorrow. If not, Galbadia Garden will know we didn't return for the night and will send out a search party."

"Better late than never," Irvine agreed. "Looks like tonight, this will be home sweet home."

* * *

He wasn't sure what exactly woke him up. He doubted it was where here was sleeping, as experience had long since taught him that when one was exhausted, they could sleep almost anywhere. Yet, Squall shuddered. It had grown colder in the night. He shifted in his sleep, rolling over on his side as he lay on the hard stone floor a few paces away from where Irvine was sleeping.

Selphie had taken a worn old settee and Irvine had given up his jacket to cover her, since all she was wearing was a short, yellow dress. Zell was against the wall, his knees drawn up to his chest as he hunched forward, sleeping soundly as the rain continued to pour outside their shelter.

"… _Leave this place,"_ he heard a soft voice whispered somewhere past his consciousness. _"…do not return…."_

Blue eyes slowly blinked open. The darkness of the old library signaled that the sun had yet to rise. He glanced over at the fireplace. As expected, the fire had died sometime in the night. Narrowing his eyes, he rolled into a sitting position and looked around the room. Their weapons were still where they had left them. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, though he could've sworn he heard someone speaking.

Squall looked back at his companions. All three were breathing evenly, signaling a restful sleep. The commander shook his head and began to lay back down.

He saw something move from the corner of his eye. Immediately, his hand came down on the handle of his gunblade that had been laying beside him. Gloved hands wrapped around it as his eyes narrowed and focused on to the dark hallway beyond the library's entrance. He saw something blue; a light pale shade seemingly darting past the entrance, he was sure.

Most others would've ignored the sighting; blaming it on a trick of the tired mind, but he was a SeeD. If his gut told him he saw something, he most certainly did. Squall rose to his feet and distractedly wiped his hands against his pants as he crept towards the entryway. His eyes squinted. He could hardly see any anything.

He walked back into the library and grabbed one of the flashlights that they had brought in with them. Without looking back at the sleeping group, Squall proceeded out into the hall and turned on the flashlight. He moved it in front of him and narrowed his eyes. He could make out the stairs he had walked up earlier that day and the numerous halls that went around it.

He shone the light over the entry hall, but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. The piles of dilapidated furniture were where he had last seen them. Remnants of tapestries still hung in place. He narrowed his eyes and stepped out into the hall. He moved the light up a wall, settling on one of the old, worn tapestries that had been falling apart.

Dulled threads still managed to depict the castle in its heyday, but even dulled, the tapestry didn't carry the same shade of blue he was sure he saw.

He heard a scattering of light footsteps behind him and he instantly whirled around. The flashlight moved through the darkness, but there was nothing there. Squall's lips tightened. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Was that Selphie? She had the lightest footsteps of the group.

He marched back to the library and peered inside. Laying across the tattered remains of the settee, Selphie was still curled in the fetal position, wrapped snuggly in Irvine's coat. He frowned. She couldn't have been able to rush back so quickly without him hearing her running across the library.

His skin began to rise up as he turned around, shining the light ahead of him once more. There was someone else in the castle.

He took a step forward and heard the steps once more, this time, they were coming from the top of the stone stairs. Squall's flashlight flew to the top of the stair well.

Nothing.

He was getting tired of the games. Squall marched up the stairs, ready to comb the halls until he found the trespasser. As he reached the top of the stairs, he prepared to turn left, into the western hall, when an airy voice came from the right.

" _Leave this place…."_

He turned around and illuminated the hall with the flashlight. Once more, there was no one. Frowning, he looked back down at the stairs, as if expecting someone to be standing there, throwing their voice to irritate him. No such luck.

He continued down the hall. There had to be someone else in the castle and it wasn't all that farfetched. It was them who had taken shelter during the storm and for all they knew, there were some people who had taken over the castle as a makeshift permanent shelter. The SeeDs could've been the trespassers.

Still, Selphie and Zell had pretty much combed the entire castle and found no one. They hadn't even found any traces of occupation aside from the old, ruined furniture that had a heavy layer of dirt coating them. Had others come in afterwards, also seeking shelter from the storm?

"We're not here to hurt you," Squall called out into the hall. "We're just letting the storm pass and don't mean any harm," he stated as calmly as he could. There was no answer.

He continued to walk forward, listening to his footsteps thud dully against the old stone floor. Thud…thud…a rug. His brows furrowed. He looked down at his booted feet and frowned more so. He had been in this wing earlier; there hadn't been a navy colored carpet on the ground then. He turned around, following the material under his feet with his flashlight.

It extended past him, back towards the stairs and into the opposite hall. His face filled with confusion.

This is weird.

He turned back around and jerked his head back. The bare stone walls he had passed through just hours earlier were anything but. Fine, brightly colored tapestries hung on the walls, paintings hung in dark wood frames lined the aisle and every now and then a small table was pushed against the wall holding some sculpture.

Briefly, the military troop leader considered going back down the stairs and waking one of the others. He'd insist on them coming upstairs to check the hall, but what if they returned and the hall was back to how it was before? They'd say he was dreaming.

He paused. That was it, he decided. He was dreaming.

It wouldn't be the first time a dream was that lifelike. Sometimes, he'd really miss Rinoa and he'd dream…he shook his head quickly. Now was not the time.

He let out a heavy breath and conceded to the situation. He lowered his flashlight and continued to walk forward, disregarding the absurdity of the suddenly well decorated hall and the candles that were illuminating it. He furrowed his brows again and looked at his flashlight. The bulb was dim. When had he turned it off?

Squall continued down the hall, passing a portrait of a man and a woman walking beside him. He froze in midstep. He snapped his head to the left as he stepped back. His eyes crinkled as his own reflection stared back at him. He raised his eyes and took notice of the large mirror mounted on the wall.

What was going on in head? Were the two people he and Rinoa? That would make sense. It had been a week since he last saw her and he hadn't been able to contact her that night as he usually did. He found himself smiling slightly. One night without hearing her voice and he already missed her greatly.

" _I want you to leave this place…."_

Squall blinked. Now he was actually _hearing_ Rinoa.

" _I will not allow you to suffer…."_ He frowned. That sounded as if it were coming from the room at the end of the hall. Just as he turned his head, he felt a cool breeze sweep past him, or rather, almost through him.

He froze. Someone was walking in front of him…and walking quickly, as if they were in a rush.

"Hey!" Squall frowned as he walked after him. "Excuse me! Sir!" The man kept walking, ignoring all of Squall's calls. Growing irritated, Squall quickened his speed and tried to cut off the man. He darted in front of him and felt his heart leap to his chest.

It was _him_. Squall shook his head. At least, it looked like him. His clothes were different; a fine tunic, a belt, and some pants and boots that were far different from his. Yet, Squall knew his own face when he saw it.

"My lady!" he called once more as he walked through Squall again. The SeeD commander could feel goose bumps rise on his skin as a shiver swept through him. That was his voice, as well.

He let out a shaken breath. What kind of a dream was this? He turned his head to the side, following his doppelganger with his eyes.

"Beloved," the man's voice was softer as he neared the end of the hall. "Please, answer!"

Squall watched as he rushed down the hall – to the eastern tower. It was _her_ room and he had no doubt it was where she was. The man reached the stone arched doorway and shoved the wooden barrier open.

Suddenly, Squall could see her clearly. She stood on the sill of a narrow window across from the door. The rays of the early morning sun were starting to peek from the horizon and fell upon her body as she looked down the window. Her soft, wispy blue dress fit her slim body flatteringly, but something was wrong. The dress was drab in color, it had stains. Her hair, once in a neat bun, was now out of place.

The woman leaned forward, almost out the window.

"My lady!" Squall's double cried out as he jumped over the bed in the middle of the room and extended his arms to grab her. They wrapped around her waist tightly before he pulled back, tearing her from her spot. "What are you doing!?" he gasped as he stumbled back, refusing to release her.

She remained still in his arms. "Listening to them come," she said quietly as her head remained lowered. "Their voices echo even through the ravine below," she said quietly. She closed her brown eyes and tried to hold back her tears. "They are coming to kill me."

Squall couldn't move from the spot by the door. She looked so much like Rinoa, every fiber of his being urged him to go to her, but he couldn't. He remained helplessly still.

"They cannot kill you if you are not here," the man said behind gritted teeth. He released her body, but grabbed her hand. "Come! We can still flee!"

He made it one step, but she did not follow. The prince turned around and looked at her beseechingly. Sad brown eyes carried a look of loneliness as she shook her head softly and pulled her hand from his.

"I want you to leave this place," she instructed him. "And do not return."

His eyes narrowed. "No," he answered firmly as he stood his ground. "I will not leave without you."

"I need to remain here," she asserted. "If I go with you, they will only continue to hunt me. Past sorceresses have hurt these people so terribly that any they find who pose such a threat will be hunted into the ground to assure such a thing does not repeat itself."

"I am not leaving you here," he repeated insistently as he grit his teeth.

"You must."

"And what?" he choked out as he shook his head. His eyes began to sting as he looked at her, hurt. Had she know idea as to how much he cared for her? His heart ached. "How am I supposed to live my life without you?"

"You have lived it before, without me at your side," she reminded him softly.

"It was not worth living until you arrived," he told her strongly. He stepped forward, grabbing her hand once more. "I am begging you! Come with me! Leave this place! We will go somewhere _safe_!"

Tears slid down her eyes as she shook her head. "Anywhere you go with me will not be safe," she whispered as she lifted a hand and cupped his face. She met his clear blue eyes with desperate ones as her soft fingers caressed his face. "I do not wish to do that to the one I love. I will not allow you to suffer…," she choked out. "Not even for an instance."

He leaned his head forward and pressed it against hers. He could hear yelling beyond the door; the mob had breeched the castle.

"Even a single moment without you is one where I will suffer," he rasped. She closed her eyes tightly, her lips tightening into a line as hot tears streaked down her face. He could feel his own trailing against his cheek as the angry voices grew closer.

"I love you," she cried, painfully. "That is why, I am sorry."

Her skin grew warm. It continued to heat up and he opened his eyes. A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he looked into white, glowing eyes where her beautiful brown ones used to be. As soon as he gasped, she stepped away from him, walking further and further away until she stood in front of the window.

"Don't," he said as he furrowed his brows and moved towards her slowly, extending his hands and hoping she didn't jump. "Please, I am begging you, my love. Do not leave me!"

"Find the sorceress!" someone raged beyond the stone corridor outside.

"Kill her upon sight! Quickly!" another ordered as heavy footsteps quickly approached.

He looked over his shoulder, a pained expression on his face as he drew his sword. "Do not dare jump! I will defend you with my life sooner than witness you fall!" he yelled.

Her heart was aching. She had her hesitations just weeks earlier. She had been afraid to leave her childhood home, not knowing whom her father had promised her to.

Then she had met him. She had met him and he was _perfect_. They said he was cold, aloof, and cared not for anyone, but they were wrong. He was warm. He was warm and loving and in their far too a short time together, she felt more love than she had in her entire life.

If he was willing to sacrifice his life for her, than surely he understood why she was willing to do the same.

She watched as he stood by the door, ready to defend her with every drop of blood in his veins. She smiled as tears continued to pour down her face. To be loved so much that one would die for her…she was lucky.

The tower began to tremble. Sounds of rumbling came from the stones all around them and the prince looked up. His eyes followed cracks in the wall as they began to snap and enlarge. The few tapestries that hung in her room were shaking and the bed in the center was bouncing ever so slightly closer to the window.

He whirled around and his eyes widened. Her arms were raised and her head was facing the heavens. The trembling was her doing.

"Stop!" he shouted.

"Good-bye," her lips mouthed as a large boom resonated through the tower. The floor cracked in half and the side she was on began to break off from the rest of the castle. The back wall fell first, bringing with it the roof. The rest of the floor began to slant down, sending stone brick after brick into the ravine below. Her bed tumbled into the chasm and all he could do was watch as she stood at the very edge, her arms still raised, waiting for her turn to fall.

The stone floor beneath her cracked.

"No!" he cried out. He flung his sword to the side, sending it sliding over the edge of the room before jumping forward and sliding across the remaining floor. His hands reached out and he grasped one of hers. The weight of her body pulled him forward and he barley managed to stop himself from sliding into the cliff below. "Do not let go!"

She blinked and looked up. Disbelieving brown eyes looked at him. "What are you doing!?" she choked out. "Let go!" she twisted her body in an effort to loosen her hand from his, but his grip was firm.

"Never!"

"Release me!" she pleaded. "You're too close too the edge! You cannot pull us both up! You'll die!" Her face was twisted in pain as she exclaimed that.

He almost laughed. Did she still not understand? What was life without her? Intent blue eyes held hers. "I know."

Her face softened as brown hair, dislodged from her bun, flew around her face. The sun rose behind her, illuminating the soft features he had grown to love. He felt her hand tighten around his.

"You are a foolish, foolish man!" she sobbed as she strained to grab his other extended arm with her own. As their hands clasped, he pulled her up. She craned her neck upwards. They both heard the cracking nose. They could feel the stone giving under their weight. "But I love you."

He smiled softly. "And I," he whispered as he lowered his head. His lips brushed over hers. "Love you, R-"

The floor gave way.

"No!" Squall's eyes widened. His heart, that had felt as if it were being torn to pieces, leapt to his throat. With strength he didn't know he had, he forced his body to move. He rushed forward, ignoring the villagers who had stopped at the door way, just as they watched the prince's body slide into the abyss below.

The SeeD jumped, raising his arms to try to grab hold of an arm, a leg, even, before the couple plummeted to their deaths.

Something held him back. He felt his arms being held from behind and as something wrapped around his waist and pulled him backwards. A rush of cold air slammed into his face, forcing him back further.

"Do not jump…!" a woman's voice pleaded in his ear. "I do not want to lose you…."

Squall stumbled back, suddenly disoriented. His head spun as he turned around, trying to find the source of the voice. His eyes were wide as his feet tripped over each other. He fell backwards.

Someone caught him. Familiar arms scooped beneath his as he fell against a soft body. His head began to ache. He knew that body, but what was she doing there? His entire body grew heavy. He tried to turn his head, but was able to.

"Rin…?" he whispered. His eyes began to close. "Is that…?"

"Shhh…," a voice whispered. The last thing he heard as he was leaned gently against a wall was her warm, loving voice once more. "Go to sleep," she comforted. "My good prince."

* * *

"Squall!" He was hearing her voice again.

"He's not down here!"

"Then he's probably up here!" Was she looking for him?

"I'll check the this side, you check that side."

"Okay," she replied. "Call me if you find him!"

Squall's eyes were heavy. He strained as he tried to open them. As they did, he winced. Since when did it get so bright? Was it morning? He blinked and focused. The rain had stopped and directly in front of him, the sun was rising.

His eyes flew open as he let out a sharp breath and kicked his legs forward, pushing himself back against a stone wall. Nothing was blocking the sunlight from him because there was no wall. His heart slammed against his chest as he looked past his feet and down at the gaping hole less than a foot away. Past the last few pieces of stone already showing signs of falling, all he could see was the dark ravine below.

Squall swallowed a lump in his throat and looked around the tower room. The canopy bed was gone, so was all the other pieces of furniture. The tapestries on the wall had been torn down. He froze as bumps on his skin rose.

He lifted his head up and look towards the tapestry he had first seen the afternoon before.

It hung in place; the faint image of a woman remained, but there was someone behind her. A man was standing beside her, with his hand on her shoulder. He hadn't been there yesterday. And had she been smiling?

"Squall!?" Rinoa's voice breeched the room once more and Squall jumped in his place. He looked towards the doorway. It was just stone arch way now. The door had long since rotted away. He heard footsteps echoing in the hall. "Honey, where are you?"

He was on his feet as he saw her enter the hall through the door. "Rinoa!"

She turned her head towards him and a relieved look filled her face. "I found him!" she shouted over her shoulder, without taking her eyes off of him. She smiled as she rushed forward.

Before she could tell him she missed him, Rinoa found herself engulfed in Squall's arms. His head buried against hers as he seemed to inhale the air around her deeply as she crushed her against him.

"You're okay…," he whispered, almost breathlessly. "Thank, Hyne…." _I almost lost you._

"Squall?" Rinoa asked, confused. "Are you alright?"

He held her for a moment longer before slowly loosening his hold and pulling away. "I'm fine," he told her. A small smile reached lips. "I just…." He didn't know how to explain it.

He could still see her face below his, filled with sadness and regret as she held on his arms, telling him to let go and save himself. He wouldn't let go. Even as they fell and time stopped…he never let go.

"Squall?" Rinoa asked, concerned as she ran her hand through his bangs and stroked them back. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded once more. "Just a bad dream," he offered weakly. She nodded and smiled slightly.

"Well, it's over now and you're awake," she smiled. She wrapped her arms around his waist and grinned as she tilted her head up. "And safe in my arms."

He lowered his lips to kiss her when an exasperated voice cut through the hall. "Aww…come on!" Zell cried out. "Can you save the making out for later? Geez, you've only been separated one week!"

Rinoa rolled her eyes as Squall barely held in a chuckle. "Fine, fine," she conceded. She looked back at Squall and quickly gave him a sneak kiss on the cheek. "Come on. We got another vehicle to tow yours back."

"Thanks," Squall said. He looked over at Zell as they followed him out of the hall and to the stairs. "Are you three alright?"

"Of course," Zell said, looking at him curiously. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"We were worried about you," Irvine said from where he was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. "Selphie woke up and couldn't find you. We thought you went to, you know…use the 'toilet', but you didn't come back. We were just about to search when Rinoa arrived with some SeeDs from Galbadia Garden."

"Being the fiancée of a SeeD Commander who saved the world has its perks!" Rinoa beamed shamelessly as she grinned and walked out the door.

"Okay! Everything is all packed! I get shotgun!" Selphie piped. She raced around the first of three vehicles. Rinoa sighed. Squall grinned inwardly. She was starting to pick up some of his habits.

Zell and Irvine climbed in after Selphie in the first transport vehicle. He and Rinoa got into the back seat of another armored vehicle.

"Commander Leonhart," one of the SeeDs in the front seat greeted. The other man nodded.

Squall settled himself inside as they began to move. "By the way," Squall said as he looked out the window, at the abandoned castle once more. "How did you know we were here?" he asked, looking over at Rinoa.

"You sent that radio signal," she pointed out. "We got something late last night…early this morning, I guess is more like it."

Squall narrowed his eyes. He had left the machine in the library. "Are you sure I sent it?"

"Yeah," Rinoa said as she snuggled against him. "Selphie said you had spent most of yesterday looking for a signal, so it might've gotten delayed if you managed to get one out." It hadn't been any of the other three.

Squall remained quiet. He began to put his arm around Rinoa's shoulders when a rumbling was heard behind them. The young woman beside him shot up and looked over her shoulder. "What was that!?"

From the side view mirror, Squall could see the castle shaking behind them. From the eastern side, walls began to tumble down.

"Thank Hyne everyone was out of there in time," one of the SeeDs said as they watched the castle fall. "A few moments later and we could've lost you all to the ravine!"

Squall looked out the window as the vehicles turned on to the dirt path leading to one of the main roads. The castle crumbled backwards, sinking before descending completely into the chasm far below it.

Rinoa's hand tightened on his shirt. "Thank Hyne we got to you in time," she whispered as she seemed to move closer to him. She seemed breathless, as if realizing how close she was to losing him. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Strangely, he doubted the castle would've fallen with him still in it. He wrapped one arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I have it worse, Rin," he told her softly as feelings from what he saw the night before flashed through him. His hold around her tightened. "How am I supposed to live my life without you?"

She smiled softly and looked up at him. "You have lived it before without me at your side," she reminded him softly.

"Yeah," he smiled back intently. "It was not worth living until you arrived."

* * *

**Squall's Office, A Little Past Noon**

The familiar sound of clicking coming from a keyboard was coming from his office. Squall narrowed his eyes as he looked at the small gap between his door and the doorframe. He never left his door open, even when he was inside. He stood just outside the door, trying to narrow down the suspects that had the guts to actually go into his office when he wasn't there.

And there was only one person who came to mind. He pushed open the door and found her seated on his leather seat, her eyes focused on the monitor screen as her brows furrowed with concentration she was not famous for. One hand lingered over the keyboard, while the other moved around his mouse before returning to the keyboard and pressing the backspace key.

"Rinoa," he frowned as stopped halfway to his desk. "What are you doing here?" He knew for a fact that her laptop was working fine; she had been playing some online MMORPG the night before and yelling into her headset for Irvine to stop flirting with an NPC and focus on their quest. Therefore, he saw no reason why she was using his work computer.

"Doing some editing," Rinoa replied distractedly as she scrolled down and continued to make some fixes. "Your flow is kind of off and I think you should put in some more descriptions in some parts. Supernatural, ghost-y stories with haunted locations require a build up for atmosphere if you want a good affect."

His eyes went wide and the files he held in his arms nearly fell to the ground. "What are you looking at!?" He slammed the files on his desk and quickly rounded it. He stood behind Rinoa and felt his face heat up with humiliation as he saw his latest article on the screen, littered with red comments, notes, and deletion and change notifications.

"It's a cute story; I'm always a sucker for those kind of ghost stories," Rinoa told him with a proud smile. "Especially when they tie in to the main characters. It's like teaching the reader that it's never too late for love, you know."

His head hung down beside her, mortified that she had read his story. Deep down, he knew he had never been able to hide things from Rinoa. Part of her always suspected things. She was good at 'investigating' – though he called it snooping. Her network of information at the Garden itself was extensive, but he had taken all the precautions he could.

Seifer was the only other person at the Garden who knew and he wrote out his stories by hand and then shredded the remains to keep the secret after it was published. Squall had taken great pains to keep his work just as hidden, but Rinoa had found it…as always.

He took a deep breath and tried to put things into perspective. "What are you even doing in my office?" he asked, in a low voice.

"I told you, I'm editing your article to Ellone's magazine."

His face paled as he snapped it up and looked at her with a horrified expression. "That was classified information!"

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Whatever…," she waved her hand dismissingly. "Classified-smashified. I knew you were writing for her magazine."

"How?" he demanded.

She turned in his chair and crossed her legs as she placed her hands on her knees and looked at him critically. "Who do you think edits some of the articles? Laguna? Ward? Kiros doesn't have the time, you know," she pointed out. Squall stared at her, dumbfounded. "And don't think that I couldn't figure out you wrote the story with your sad excuse for a penname, Miss Tempest Loire."

Squall narrowed his eyes. "I didn't pick that name; Sis said Laguna did." He knew he should've forced his sister to change it the first time.

Rinoa smirked. "I bet if you were a girl, he would've named you that. It's cute." Beside her, Squall ran a hand down his face.

"That doesn't mean you can just come in here and change my story."

"I didn't change it!" Rinoa told him, affronted. "I made it better! Besides, I would've ended up editing it, anyway."

Squall frowned. "How did you even know about her magazine?"

"It was my idea," Rinoa beamed once more. "Besides, I was happy to help. Ellone is my sister-in-law and I thought it would help if an established author, like myself, were to write some articles. Didn't you see?" She turned and shuffled through the papers on his desk before weeding out an older copy of Ellone's magazine and flipping through the pages. She held up a page and Squall squinted.

"You write an article on relationship advice?" Why did that knowledge embarrass him? Rinoa nodded her head enthusiastically.

" _Relationships and Romance by Julia Loire_. Ellone said that after my first article, the subscription rates tripled!" She put down the magazine. "Now, because I love you, I'm working my magic on your story. You will find," she said as she saved the document . "That is has vastly improved now that I'm done with it." She grinned back at him. "By the way, mind if I write a fanfic about it?"

He crinkled his eyes. "A fan…what?"

"Hey, Captain," a male voice said as the door swung open. "I've been thinking about what you said about stopping writing and…." Seifer's voice died down as he saw the dark-haired woman seated in his commanding officer's seat. He narrowed his eyes as they flickered from Squall to Rinoa. "What is she doing here?"

"I hope you're having a good day, too, Seifer," Rinoa snorted.

"Yeah, well…can you leave? I need to talk to him," the blond told her. She rolled her eyes and pushed herself up.

"Fine…I'll leave you two to your guy talk," she rolled her eyes and turned to Squall, giving him a light kiss on the cheek before heading to the door.

"Thanks," Seifer mumbled. The door closed behind her and he turned back to Squall. "I've decided to keep writing. I sent an email to Ellone, telling her I'd still like to continue, even if I'm not being paid…much."

Squall raised an eyebrow. "And why exactly would you do that?"

"Because I can't stand to leave my fans with nothing good to read in that magazine," Seifer announced proudly. Squall fell back in his seat and rolled his eyes.

"What about your duties to the Garden?"

"Oh, I've decided not give myself deadlines and just write when I can and then submit it," Seifer explained, having thought out his idea. "I'm still a fulltime mercenary and soon-to-be father. It's just that I think writing may be my true calling."

Squall just stared at him. "So…what? You plan to write a book? Become a series novelist like Rinoa?" He silently prayed not.

Seifer's eyes narrowed. "That's not a bad idea…," he mumbled. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes…that's perfect."

"I withdraw what I said."

"Too late!" Seifer said. He gave Squall a nod. "I'm suddenly inspired!"

"You still have reports to do," the brunette reminded him.

"Those are easy! I'll have them on your desk tomorrow morning, but writing is different," Seifer said. He paused. "By the way, did you submit your new story yet?":

"Almost," Squall looked over at his computer. "The…edits were just completed."

"What's it about this time?" Seifer snorted. "Forbidden love? Historical? A slice of life piece about love and sexuality in adulthood? Oh…maybe vampires!" He sneered. "You look the type to write about vampires."

Squall stared at him, deadpan. "If you want to read it, you can do so in the next magazine."

Seifer huffed and turned around. "At least it's the last piece from you I'll have to read. Anyway, I just wanted to inform you!" The door slammed closed and Squall shook his head.

He opened up a new document with one hand as he picked up the phone with the other. He quickly dialed a familiar number and waited.

"Hello?" a woman's voice answered. He wedged the phone between his ear and shoulder.

"Sis," Squall said as he moved his hands over the keyboard. "About the offer to continue to write," he began as he typed. "I'd like to do so."

 

* * *

**THE END!**


End file.
